


Helping Your Loved Ones

by jinglebells37



Category: Actor RPF
Genre: Alternative Perspective, Angst, Comfort/Angst, Fluff, Humor, I don't really know - Freeform, Multi, Romanian, Slow Build, Slow Burn, and a bunch of other actors, at some point, i guess, i mean i hope it is, sebastian being a confused puppy most of the times
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-10
Updated: 2016-01-19
Packaged: 2018-02-08 06:28:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 30,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1930182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jinglebells37/pseuds/jinglebells37
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Living with your 31 year old cousin, even just for three months is easier said than done.<br/>Especially when you're fifteen. And he's a celebrity. And you haven't seen each other in five years.<br/>Okay, Iris might have a problem.</p><p>OR</p><p>Sebastian's aunt and uncle are divorcing, and his ma convinced him to invite his cousin to stay with him during the summer. It can only go downhill from there. And Mackie really isn't helping.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. What do teenagers eat, anyway?

**Author's Note:**

> hey guys!  
> i do not own sebastian stan (though i wish i were, but who wouldn't really), nor any other actor or celebrity mentioned in this fic  
> and everithing is fictional, of course. but i guess you already knew that  
> the romanian bits will be translated at the end of every chapter  
> english is not my native language (i'm from romania yay) so i apologize for any grammatical mistakes i made, make or will make  
> this is my first posted fic, so yeah please feel free to tell me what you think about it  
> it's not finished, not even close, and i don't really know where this stroy is going yet, so i'll update the tags/ characters as i go. and yeah, i'm aware the title is really lame, i'll change it when a better idea comes to me  
> here's the first chapter, i hope you'll like it :)

Sebastian's POV 

 

 

It's not that Sebastian doesn't love his family. God no. He'd do anything for any of them, really. And maybe that's the exact reason why he was so scared of the responsibility of taking care of his fifteen year old cousin for the whole summer. He can barely remember to feed himself at least twice a day most of the time, for god's sake. That's one of the many reasons why he doesn't have a dog. Or any other sort of living-breathing creature, for that matter.

So, when his ma called him to tell him that his aunt and uncle were divorcing, and she thought it would be a great idea for their daughter, Iris, to come over to America and spend her summer holiday with her celebrity cousin, he had to take some time to let that idea sink in. And nobody can blame him that ''some time'' turned up to be a whole week, right? And it's not like he forgot or something, cause his mom sure took care of that, calling two or three times a day just to ask if he took a decision. Because of course, she wouldn't make any offer to her brother, if she wasn't 100 percent sure her son would completely agree. Which only made Sebastian love her more, if that's even possible. 

He couldn't let her down now, could he? And it's not like it was gonna be that bad, his cousin was a pretty good kid, from what he remembers from the last time he'd seen her. Yeah, that might have been five years ago, but that's not the point. And besides, she's going through some rough times, with her parents divorcing and all that. At least, when that happened to him, he couldn't even properly spell his name, so he wasn't all that effected. But she's fifteen, so it must suck pretty bad.

And if his ma trusted him to do this, he was 95 percent sure he actually could, because she was almost never wrong. And he only started filming for the next film in October, that giving him a lot of free time. So Iris wouldn't die of loneliness if she actually accepted. He could even take her to the theater with him when he had to play on stage, and to the rehearsals and all that, if she wanted to. And he also could ask his mother or Leighton to help him if it all got too much to handle. He knows calling your ex to help you take care of your cousin would be a little pathetic, but oh well they still are really good friends, and she'd surely help him without humiliating him completely. Okay, probably not without making fun of him for the rest of their lives, but anyway she'd help.

So with all that in mind, he called his ma and told her he made up his mind.

Sebastian could swear he hadn't heard his mother so happy since he announced her about his first big film. She sounded so damn proud of him, that he just couldn't help the warm feeling threatening to burst from his chest and flood the penthouse he was now living in. Well, yeah, what can he say, there are a lot of perks of having played in one of the most popular movies this year.

 

His mom called him back that day (literally two hours and fourteen minutes later, but who's counting?) telling him that his uncle tought it was a great idea too, and that Iris would be on the plane in three weeks from now, flying to America. Now, that was fast, wasn't it?

He had three weeks to make his place actually livable for another human being other than himself and to learn as much as possible about teenagers, considering the fact that he barely remembers how's it like to be one. It just feels like that was one hundred years ago, and he doesn't like to feel old, so he just doesn't think about it too often. And that's why he is so grateful for internet. And for Mackie, if he thought about it for a second. 

S: 'What do teenagers eat?' he texted hid friend / ex- co-star that night. 

M: ' Souls.' came the replay, just a few minutes later, followed by another one:

M: ' Y? u decided to finally adopt? cause man, u should totally think bout a baby or at least a toddler first idk '

S: ' Not helping. I'm fucked ' . 

M: ' So u do go both ways I KNEW IT i need to call scar cuz i won the bet. she gon' be maaad ' and Sebastian had to take a second and rethink his life choices at that one, or at least his friend choices because how was his sexuality even relevant right now. He knew Mackie was just fucking around with him, but even knowing that didn't make it easier to not just get off the couch and bang his head on every single hard surface in his apartment.

S: ' Do i even wanna know?' 

S: ' No, i don't.'

M: ' No, u don't. And you can tell me about it at the gym 2morrow.'

M: ' I mean u can tell me bout the kid thing, cause the sexuality part i already figured out.' Why did he ever thought texting Mackie would help, again?

S: ' Somebody pls remind me why am i still friends with u'

M: 'Cause i'm awesome. And you love me. Because i'm that awesome, right?'

S: ' See u tomorrow, jackass'

M: 'I know, i luv u 2, bby'

 

Of course, the next day at the gym, he tricked Mackie into promising he was gonna help as much as he can. People always tell him he has sad puppy eyes, so why not use them from time to time for his own benefit, right? And it was important to him, knowing that he wasn't all alone in this, that someone had his back. Even if said someone couldn't hold a proper conversation without bringing up Sebastians's non-existing love life. Or his almost non-existing sex life. Whatever.

It's not like he's ashamed, because he really isn't. But people always make a big deal out of this kind of things, so his agent advised him not to run around shouting that he's bisexual at the top of his lungs. Besides, a lot of times, people treat him differently after they find out. He can't count on one hand how many good friends he's lost that way, because they feared he might fall in love with them or something. So now he doesn't tell people, unless it's a really really special situation. But his family knows, obviously. Though he doesn't know if they told Iris that too, so he just won't bring it up, if she doesn't ask about it.

 

In the next couple of weeks, all he did was worry. Literally. What if she won't like him at all? Because they sure as hell don't know each other that well. What if she gets homesick? Because she hasn't been that far away from home for that long before. Worse, what if she gets sick? He doesn't even know how to make soup, or what the pills in his medicine cabinet are for! Goddammit, what if she falls in love with some kid? He's so not prepared for that.

And the fact that Matt, his best friend, was out of town for the next six months building houses for poor families in South Africa did nothing to help him. He knew he was being a selfish prick, but he kinda really needed him then because he was starting to really freak out. Iris would be here this time next week, and he still hasn't finished redecorating the guestroom. 

Yeah, redecorating. It was that important to him, shut up.

 

Two hours before he had to pick his cousin up from the airport he called Mackie (again) asking him for an intervention, because he couldn't choose between the blue bed sheets, and the pink ones for Iris's bed.

''Man, you got her pink bed sheets?'' he asked laughing like he heard the funniest thing ever.

''Yeah, is that bad?''

''Well, it depends. Is she eight years old?''. Sebastian could tell that Mackie was trying so very hard to keep a straight face, but he also could feel the smirk in his voice.

''No, dude, i told you, she's fifteen.'' He began wondering if Mackie had been even listening to him this whole time.

''I know, that's exactly my point. So i'd say the blue ones. But only if you want her to stick around long enough for dinner, because she's gonna run away when she tastes you cooking skills anyway''

''Still not helping, ya'know?''

''I know, man, sorry. You're just such an easy target when your all stressed out like that, it's adorable really. Almost as adorable as Evans's ass in that Captain America suit of his...''

''Yeah tell me about- ... oh wait, i see what'cha doing. Nope, not gonna fall for that, pal. I'm hanging up now, without even gonna answer your question.''

''There wasn't any question there, for the record. Ya'know, for a precious actor like yourself, you do a very shitty job at hiding your feelings, buddy. Why'd you think i keep making subtle little remarks about which team you're playing for?''

''There's nothing subtle nor little about your remarks, Mackie. And there are no feelings to hide, you're just watching too many romantic comedies.''

''Whatever you say, big guy. But you know, anyone who watched even just one episode of Lie To Me can see your face lighting up like a damn christmas tree whenever Evans walks in the room . Just sayin'. ''

''Has it ever crossed your mind that maybe i like, i don't know, Scarlett?''

''Oh well, it's not Scar's ass you were staring at at the premiere two months ago...''

''Okay, now i really am hanging up on you, we'll talk later douchebag''

''Did mean ol' Mackie touched a sensible spot? Okay, no, that's too much. Even for me. Look, man, i'm sorry. Didn't mean to push you or anything. I was just trying to get you to understand that you can tell me, if you want to talk to someone. I know Matt's out of town, and you're going through some shit and all that. It's not like i'm gonna run to the papers and tell them Bucky has a crush on Cap, kay?''

''Thanks, Mackie. That's... that means a lot. Especially coming from you, which is kinda suspicious, by the way. But really, we'll talk later, cause i have to be at the airport in, like, half an hour, and traffic's a bitch today, so yeah. But thank you, i really appreciate it''

''No problem, man. Tell your poor little cousin i send all my sympathy to her.''

''Huh, thank god, you're still you. For a second there i thought aliens kidnapped you or something.'' Sebastian said kind of relieved, before hanging up.

Was he actually that freaking obvious about his stupid crush on Chris? Because, if so, that could be a huge problem someday in the near future. And c'mon, he did not STARE at his ass at the premiere. He only discreetly admired it. Maybe not so discreetly as he thought, but still. It's not like he was the only one anyway.

But he was going to arrive late, if he didn't move faster, so he grabbed his keys and his wallet and walked out the door to pick up Iris from the airport.

''This's gonna be interesting...'' he thought as he stared at his hands on the wheel. ''...but it can't be that bad...''

Can it?


	2. He's not so bad, ya'know?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iris gets to know her cousin a little bit better. Also, Mackie has a spare key.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!  
> Here's the new chapter, i hope you'll like it.

Iris's POV

Some people would say that having a celebrity as a cousin it's awesome.But Iris isn't one of those people.Not even close.  
Don't get her wrong, it probably is, but under totally different circumstances. Because, she's pretty sure the only thing Sebastian actually knows about her is her name and her parents' phone numbers. Which might be a good thing considering her situation.

 

She wasn't even at home when her aunt called to make the offer that would throw all her summer plans out the window. Her school threw a party for the eight graders that day, as a way for them to say goodbye to all their teachers and school-mates and she had to be there. 

Actually, who was she kidding? She was grateful to be there, because every moment spent out of the house meant another peaceful moment without hearing her parents fight. Most of the times she was glad they finally decided to divorce, because that meant all this yelling was going to finally stop. These were the good days. But there were bad days too, and that meant crying for hours, wondering what had she done wrong.

And even in this case, a three month trip to America wasn't exactly what she had in mind in order to get away from her troubles. But apparently it was what her dad had in mind. And when he made a decision like that (and he made those a lot) , there wasn't even a point in trying to convince him otherwise. She felt betrayed and basically non-existent, but not surprised. No, she knew better than that. But she couldn't be mad, right? Because he just wanted the best for her, and how can you be mad at that? You can't. Ugh, life's such a bitch sometimes.

So there she was, three weeks later, in the middle of an airport in New York, waiting for her star-cousin to pick her up and drive her to his fabulous mansion, where she's bound to be spending her summer at, holed up and probably forgotten by the golden boy of her family, who she's sure, doesn't even want her there. All right, maybe she's just being a little over-dramatic. Okay, fine, more than a little! Sebastian is a really good guy. Or so she's been told, she doesn't remember him very well. If it weren't for the films he plays in, she wouldn't even know how he looks like anymore.

But she can just picture it. Her aunt asking her son to do this for her. To keep Iris's mind away from her problems for a while. And of course he wouldn't say now.

Not that it matters now, because she can see Sebastian (looking really really lost and confused) searching the group of people that just got off the plane for her. The funny thing (but still not surprising) is that he looked straight at her, but didn't recognize her. How could he after, what, five years?

Though she must admit, she did enjoy seeing his eyebrows shooting up in surprise as she approached him. She couldn't hold back the little smile that found its way on her face.

''Iris! Oh wow, buna! Arati atat de- '' his Romanian was a little rough around the edges, from not being used that often. But she couldn't let him finish, it was too weird hearing him speak his native language.

''Hi! No, please, you don't have to. I can speak English good enough, so you don't have to bother. Thanks, though. For all of this'' she gestured around her, and he smiled warmly, going for a hug. Which was more than awkward, for the record. 

''You look so different now, what the heck happened to you?'' he asked keeping the smile on, and taking the backpack she was carrying.

''Life.'' she struggled to keep a straight face, and look as affected and hurt as she could, until she saw his face being washed over by a wave of panic.

''No, no, no, that came out so very wrong, gosh, i'm so sorry, i meant you look great! Okay, i'm a total disaster, but seriously, you look amazing, i didn't -'' he started babbling, and he probably wouldn't have stopped if Iris wouldn't have burst out laughing. But she knew it was rude, messing with him like that, so she pulled herself together.

''All right, i'm sorry i just couldn't help it. You should have seen your face.'' she apologized with a sheepish smile, hoping he won't be too annoyed. '' I know what you meant, please stop looking like you just killed a puppy.''

He stopped for a second, just looking at her a little bit incredulous, like he wasn't sure what just happened, but then he just started laughing silently to himself.

''Okay, you kind of got me there, what can i say. I bet you and Mackie will get along just fine.'' 

''Mackie? As in Anthony Mackie? Falcon?'' she asked, unable to control the pitch in her voice.

''Yeah, that Mackie. Just don't sound so excited about it around him, 'kay? It will make his ego explode or something. Believe me, you don't wanna be around when that happens.''

''Uh, okay, noted that. Anything else i should know?''

''Umm, maybe keep dogs and Richard Gere out of the conversation when we're around Leighton. Also, when Mackie stars mentioning dumpster diving, run as fast as you can, unless you want to end up searching for furniture in the junkyard. Yeah, that'll be it, i guess''

''Now, i bet that's an interesting story, but-''

''And i bet Mackie will tell it to you in the first half an hour after you shake hands''

Iris couldn't help laughing at that one, especially because of the half-haunted, half-amused look in Sebastian's eyes. Maybe being around him won't be so bad after all.

 

After they picked up the rest of her luggage, Sebastian drove them to the penthouse he was living in. Yes, a freaking penthouse. In one of the most tallest building in Manhattan. Talk about luxury. It even had a doorkeeper, for god's sake! Iris wouldn't have been surprised if he showed her his chocolate fountain next, maybe a jacuzzi too.

Oh well, no such luck for the fountain, but boy, did he have a jacuzzi. Oh well, fine, not really. But it was a huge bathtub, with all sort of functions and little buttons. She made a mental note to try that one out later. Meanwhile, he led her to her new temporary bedroom. And she won't lie, she half expected a water mattress and a butler waving around with a palm tree leaf.

Sebastian suddenly started laughing, making her jump a little in surprise.

''Oh well, i'm sorry to disappoint you ,but there's no water mattress.Though you should have plenty of space in that'' he said, pointing to the queen sized bed, covered with a blue puffy-looking blanket. '' And i could get a palm tree leaf and dress up in a suit if you'd like me to''

''Wait, did i say all that out loud?'' Iris tried to keep her voice steady. She really did.

''Well, yeah. But i'm sure the doorkeeper will be extra-nice to you, now that he knows how much you appreciate his effort.'' he responded, with a smug smile spread across his face.

Iris could literally feel the heat in her cheeks, and she was sure her face was as red as Sebastins's couch back in the living room. Then his expression turned into something softer, as he said: ''I see that you still blush like a virgi- '' he stopped, looking like he had just dropped his mother's favorite vase '' -like a baby. You know, like you did when you were a baby, yeah. Let me show you the kitchen now, yeah let's go.''

''Oh, look who's blushing now! Just like a baby'' Iris replied with a chuckle, putting the accent on ''baby''. '' And slow down there, a little bit, i haven't even properly seen the bedroom. Also chill out, i won't tell Auntie that you used the v-word around me'' she continued with the most childish-like voice she could muster up.

Sebastian just threw his hand up in surrender, and went for the door, with a pleased smile on his face, almost like he was proud ''Okay,you're right. I'll let you get used to it. You can find me in the kitchen, when you're ready''. 

''Wait, i thought you were going to give me a map or something. You wouldn't want me to get lost in this little apartment, now would you?'' she called after him, earning a fit of laughter.

''Just shout if you need me.'' he finally said, and Iris let a contented sigh escape her mouth. He really was a good guy. And maybe, just maybe, he didn't mind her presence so much as she originally thought.

With that in her mind, she finally took a better look at the room. It was crazy spacious, with huge windows on the wall opposite to the door. The furniture was (no surprise here) ultra modern, and the whole room smelled like fresh paint and lavender. She wondered how much time she could keep it this clean. Probably a whole hour. Bu only if she spent 45 minutes of that time in the kitchen with her cousin, of course.

 

Three hours and two pizzas later (because Sebastian's culinary aptitude was non-existent whatsoever) they found themselves spread out on the two not-so-small couches in the living room.

''I need to warn you, Mackie's on his way here. But i can send him home if you're too tired, or if you don't wanna meet him right now, or anything like that.''

''Are you kidding me? It's Falcon we're talking about here, you can't just send him home because i'm a little tired, you just can't.''

''Listen to the little girl, man, she's right. You can't just send me home like that. It's not cool dude.'' Mackie said from the doorway of the apartment, making Iris jump off the couch in surprise.

''How did you- ... how did he even get in?!'' she managed to ask, still trying to catch her breath. Mackie just smirked and shrugged, throwing himself on the cough next to Sebastian.

''I have a spare key.''

''You gave Anthony Mackie a spare key to your apartment?'' she asked, rising her left eyebrow. That would have been... unusual.

''Yeah, he did.''

''No, i didn't. Well, technically i did,but i needed him to water my plants while i was out of town for a couple of weeks, and when i came back he just refused to give it back to me''

''It's for your own good, man, trust me. What if we go out clubbing one night, and you get so wasted you can even find your keys? What?! It could totally happen! And i can't afford having Dianne waking up to The Winter Soldier drooling on our couch, now can i?''

''No, of course you can't. But you can totally afford getting mud all over The Winter Soldier's coffee table, right? Feet off the table, now.''

''Or else?''

''Or else, The Winter Soldier's gonna kick Falcon's big butt''

''Aw, baby, you wouldn't do that! You wouldn't even hurt a fly! You're the sweetest kid on the planet, after all, right?''

''Did you just quoted Chris Evans?'' Iris asked laughing, while Sebastian pinched the bridge of his nose.

''No, he didn't.''

''I totally did. So you've seen it too! The interview, i mean.''

''Hasn't every girl who hit puberty in the last five years? C'mon, it's Chris Freaking Evans. And he was talking about my cousin, of course i've seen it.''

''Oh look at that! She even has a crush on Evans! Man, i'm telling you, it's like she's a younger female version of you. Probably smarter than you though.'' Mackie said, bringing his hands to his chest like he'd just seen a kitten.

''Hey, what do you mean i'm his -'' 

''Nothing. He means nothing. Right, Mackie?'' Sebastian asked, looking like he could punch a wall . For a second there,the man actually looked a little scared. But he brushed it off with a smile, rising his hands in surrender.

''Just making an observation, dude. You don't need to go all Winter Soldier on me, ya'know''

''I didn't go all Winter- ''

''Yeah, you did.'' Iris cut him off with a laugh. He just rolled his eyes, his expression softening up into a weak, tired smile.

''Okay, maybe i did a little. Sorry man, i'm just really tired.''

''Well, go to sleep then. I can let myself out, later. Meanwhile i'll get to know the little human on the couch over there'' Mackie said smiling innocently.

''This little human over here can fluently speak four different languages, and i'm not even sixteen yet.'' Iris said, with a hint of pride in her voice.

''See, i told you she's smarter than you!''

Sebastian smiled again, rubbing his eyes and muttering something to himself. Then he got off the couch and pointed toward his bedroom.

''Ugh, i'm sure i'll regret this in the morning, but goodnight. Iris, you don't need me anymore tonight, right?''

''No, i'm fine. Go to sleep, you look terrible.''

''Gee, thanks.'' he kept mumbling all the way to the bedroom, something like '' betrayed by my own flesh and blood'' . 

Mackie just rolled his eyes, but with a fond expression.

''People always assume his an arrogant brat who doesn't appreciate what he has. But it's not true, ya'know? ''

''Yeah. I think i know, yeah.'' she answered, thinking at the way his cousin treated her that day. Like she actually was a person capable of making her own decisions.

She felt a smile growing wider and wider on her face, as she told herself for the hundredth time that day, that this isn't going to be that bad.

But this time, she believed it, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *''Oh wow, buna! Arati atat de- '' = ''Oh wow, hi! You look so-''
> 
> So, i hope you enjoyed it. I'll try to finish chapter tree today, so i can add it tomorrow :)


	3. Don't i get a say in that?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian and Iris are bonding. And Mackie is planning to get the band together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! I'm sorry this took me so long. But i kinda had a long weekend, which featured five really sick puppies, a birthday party and lack of time and inspiration. But it's here now, and i hope you'll like it!

Sebastian's POV

 

Sebastian slowly opened his eyes, awoken by the fierce sounds his stomach was making. The air smelled like eggs and bacon and just pure happiness. He almost couldn't hold back the groan that was making its way in his throat. He didn't even remember the last time his kitchen was used for something else than ''cooking'' pre-cooked meals. Which literally meant throwing whatever he bought from the store into the micro-wave and waiting. And c'mon, even Sebastian could do that. Oh well, most of the times, at least. It did get burned every now and then.

He got out of bed faster than you could say ''scrambled eggs'', running down the hallway and if he would have had a kitchen door he would have surely burst trough it. You know, just for the dramatic effect. But he needed to improvise a little bit, considering the fact that his kitchen was in an open area, along with the dinning room and the living room.

''Do i smell real food, or am i still dreaming?'' he asked, watching amused as Iris was struggling with the coffee machine.

''Um, yeah. I couldn't sleep, so i thought i'd make breakfast. I hope you don't mind. I mean normally, i would've asked first but you were still sleeping, and i didn't wanna wake you.''

''Never apologize for making breakfast, do you hear me? Never.'' he said with dead serious face, and she put on that shy smile of hers. She always did that when she was a baby and someone would give her a cady, or a teddy bear. 

But now she wasn't a baby anymore. And it was kind of hard for him to properly process that information. She was almost as tall as him now. Well, that might be a little exaggeration, but still. The top of her head was at the level of his mouth, and five years ago it barely made it to his chest. He guessed puberty will do that to you. Her hair was darker, while her hazel eyes were somehow brighter. He blamed puberty for those, too. But, on the other hand she still had the insanely long lashes, and the same habit of playing with her earlobe all the time. So it didn't exactly matched up in his head yet. All the changes, but all the ways she was still how he remembered her. And now his brain hurt a little because it was way to early for this kind thoughts and he needed food.

''So, how can i help?'' he asked scratching the back of his neck.

''Set the table, maybe? And how the hell do you turn this damn thing on? I've been trying for the past ten minutes, and it just won't work!'' 

''Hmm, have you tried plugging it in first?'' Sebastian said with a chuckle, putting two plates on the table, while Iris took the plug in her hand and stared at it in disbelief.

''I'm an idiot. Ten freaking minutes! And it didn't even crossed my mind!''

''Hey it happens to the best of us, okay? To me especially, so i guess it runs in the family or something'' he said with a shrug, and she huffed, half-amused, half-annoyed.

They ate in comfortable silence, Sebastian enjoying every bite of real food. After all, he didn't know when that was gonna happen again, so at least he could make the most of it, right?

''So, what did you and Mackie talk about last night?'' he asked, almost holding his breath. He did not want to ask her that since he saw her this morning. Not at all.

''Oh, i don't know. Stuff. All kinds of stuff, actually. He told me about Dianne, and about his kid, and i told him about myself and what i like to do and all that. He is quite a good guy, for that matter. I like him. I mean, i loved Mackie- the celebrity before that, yeah. But i think i like Mackie- the person more, you know?''

''I know'' he said, looking at her with a little bit of admiration. In his mind, he praised the lord that his cousin is not some shallow Barbie Girl, interested only in fame and fortune. But also, he was a little bit disappointed. But in himself, really, because he didn't get trough to her as fast as Mackie did. Hell, he still had no idea what her hobbies are, or if she has a boyfriend, or what her favorite song is. But he was planning on learning, of course.

''So, what do you wanna do today?'' he asked, trying his best to sound casual.

''Um, i don't know, what are my options?'' she asked back, smiling as Sebastian took her empty plate and put it in the dishwasher, along with the rest of dirty dishes.

''Well, let's see. I could give you the exclusive NY-Tour, that i just invented. Or we could go to the mall, if you wanted to. Or we could go for a walk in Central Park. The weather should be awesome today, i looked it up. So we could even go to the pool if you feel like swimming.''

''I didn't even brought a swimming suit with me. I didn't think you'd- '' then she stopped, like she just realized what she was going to say. ''Never mind. A walk in the park sounds good, if you're up to it.'' 

''Yeah, sure. Do you want me to get dressed now, or do you wanna go later?'' he asked, still wondering what she was going to say before.

''There's an awful amount of me in your sentences this morning. What do _you_ want?''

 _To get to know you better. For you to think i'm a good guy too. Another plate of those scrambled eggs. A date with someone that looks like Evans, maybe._

''For you to tell me whether or not to get dressed now.'' he answered instead, laughing half-heartedly. He really wanted some more scrambled eggs, though. Iris just sighed and rolled her eyes, but not in a mean way. He assumed that mainly because she was smiling, warm and understanding. 

''Well, i was thinking we could go now? I mean, before it gets too hot outside. If that's okay with you.''

''It is. Just give me half an hour to get ready.'' 

''Yeah, absolutely, take your time. I gotta shower anyway.''

 

Half an hour quickly turned into an hour and a half, but hey, it wasn't his fault that he didn't have any more clean t-shirts, was it? Okay, it was totally his fault, he gets it.  
Despite all the possible negative reactions she could have had, Iris just laughed at him, calling him ''such a bachelor''and then helped him get rid of the ketchup stain on one of his v-necks, so they could finally leave.

And, besides, in the end, it was all worth it. They walked around for at least two hours, just talking, and cracking silly jokes, that somehow seemed so hilarious to both of them. He also found out quite a lot about her. Like the fact that she didn't have a boyfriend, which was odd in Sebastians's opinion. Or that she knew how to play the guitar. Or that she had a guilty pleasure for sappy love stories, and she hated anything that had to do with eggplants.

I was nice. Just walking and talking like that. He felt like she was actually listening to him, not just nodding her head from time to time to keep the appearances in place. It was like she really gave a damn about all the crap he was saying. And he just didn't see that in a lot of people.

When their legs started feeling heavier, they stopped on one of the benches, under a huge oak tree and just enjoyed the nature. The sun warm on their skin, and the birds singing above their heads. They didn't even said anything, just sat there. It was the most relaxing day Sebastian has had in a while. A good while, really. And he just kind of felt whole.

By the end of the day, he also kind of forgot that his ma asked him to do this, to have Iris over for the summer. He forgot, because he started thinking it was a good idea, too. And maybe not just for his cousin's benefit.

 

And that wasn't an one time thing. Spending time together, and just bonding. Before they knew it, it was the end of her second week here, in New York. He got used to having her around so quickly that it scared him sometimes. 

They'd go at the gym with Mackie, and Iris would run on the treadmill, while they did their usual training. Or he'd take her with him at the theater when he had rehearsals, and she'd help around with props and costumes, or she'd just sit in the audience, watching them with interest. It wasn't long until most of the people he worked with, or he was friends with met Iris. And they all loved her, you could see it in their face. 

Sebastian really understood why. 

Some days they were too lazy to do anything else than hang around in the penthouse. Like that time last week when he asked her what she was listening to, and they ended up listening every album Mayday Parade had ever released. Iris introduced him to a bunch of bands of bands he never heard of. And he was kinda shocked when he realized how much he likes them. Even if Mackie will humiliate him 'till the end of their days.

The point is, that it was all a little too good. Sebastian doesn't know what he expected, but he certainly didn't expect it to be this easy. So he just hoped it will all stay the same, even though he had this little feeling that it was gonna get more complicated anytime now. He just pushed it in the back of his head, and enjoyed the moment. There's no time like the present, right? Right.

 

M: ' i got something 2 tell u' Mackie texted him Sunday morning.

S: ' is it that important? i'm making pancakes!! can u believe that? i'm cooking MACKIE. '

M: ' your cuz cooking, and u pretending to help her does not count as cooking'

S: ' yes it does. what's up?' 

S: 'and don't u dare say the sky, cause that's like the lamest pun ever '

M: ' you're an idiot and i'm coming over' 

S: ' don't i get a say in that? ' 

''No, you don't get a say in that.'' Mackie said, letting himself in, literally twenty seconds later.

''Hey, Mackie. Want some pancakes?'' Iris greeted him, putting a third plate on the table. She got used to Mackie showing up like that faster than Sebastian did in the first place.

''Why yes, i do, Cuz! Thank you. God bless your cooking skills. And your strength for being able to live with him for two whole weeks.'' Mackie said, stuffing his mouth with two pancakes at once. Sebastian felt his eyes rolling automatically.

''And to what exactly do we owe the honor of your visit, anyway?'' he asked, passing the Nutella jar to Iris and the maple syrup to his friend. Mackie took it, and smirked, like he had a plan to conqer the world. And he probably did.

''I did it. I finally did it. I convinced Dianne to let me throw a party. Do you have any idea how many sacrifices i had to do for that?''

''Taking the trash out is not a sacrifice, Mackie, it's common sense.'' Iris said laughing.

''It is sacrifice for him, believe me.'' Sebastian retorted, pointing hid fork toward Mackie.

''Exactly. See, that's why i'm friends with you buddy, you get me! Anyway, the point is that i'm throwing a party the next Saturday.''

''And you couldn't have invited us over the phone, now could you? Cause where would be the class in that, yes.'' he said amused by his friend's enthusiasm.

''That too, yeah. But i mainly came here to ask you to help me organize in. You see, Dianne had some terms and conditions. Which basically means i'm not allowed to make all the decisions by myself because she thinks that could be a threat to society. She said you have to be may babysitter. Or mansitter, whatever.''

''She said that?'' he asked, struggling not to laugh.

''Yeah she did, get over yourself, Stan , that's not the point! So will you do it? Will you mansit me?''

Iris lost in here, letting a fit of laughter fill the room. Mackie's shoulders we're shaking, too, as he tried to hold it together. It was almost too much for Sebastian, but he managed to keep a straight face, at least until he could answer.

''Of course i'll mansit you, man. What are friends for?'' and then he was gone.

Ten minutes later, when they finally gained back the control over their laughter, Mackie once again displayed that mischievous smirk.

''Did i failed to mention that we're getting the band together?'' he said, looking from Sebastian to Iris and then back at Sebastian.

''What do you mean?'' Iris asked.

''What i mean, little Cuz, is that you're going to meet the whole cast. I made some phone calls, and everybody will be in New York this weekend. Scar and Renner are visiting Jeremy's grandma or something, and they're staying a few days. Downey is recording some new album. Hemsworth is on vacation with his family here. Even Hiddleston said he might be in town. Oh, and last but not least, Evans is auditioning for some role here. He'll be in New York for at least three weeks.'' His smirk grew wider and wider as he talked, and when he finished he winked at Sebastian.

Sebastian, whose cheeks were burning red. 

Oh, fuck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there it was :) tell me what your opinion on it is, maybe?  
> also, i know Scarlett is in a relationship with Romain, but i really ship Scarlett Johansson with Jeremy Renner, so i kind of had to make it happen :)


	4. I'm not right.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one's a little bit dramatic. Hurt/ comfort and lots of bonding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, guys! Here's chapter 4, i hope you'll like it!

Iris's POV

 

This was gonna be a bad day. Iris could tell.

It was Monday, her third week here. And it was all good, Sebastian was amazing, she was having a great time, making friends and people here actually seemed to like her. Which was something new for her, but she wasn't going to complain. She didn't want to ruin any of that.

But this? Oh, god, this was gonna be such a bad day.

They were supposed to go out with Mackie, searching for a club or a restaurant where they could host the party, but Iris knew that wasn't an option for her anymore. Her head hurt like hell, and she had this knot in her neck that she always had when she was about to cry. But she had to wait until Sebastian left. If she could convince him to even leave.

It was morning, 8 am, he probably wasn't even awake yet. So she got off the bed and went in the small, elegant bathroom that she had all to herself, fortunately. Looking in the mirror, she groaned, rubbing her bloodshot eyes. Her face was pale making a not-so-pleasant-to-see contrast with the dark circles under her eyes. She didn't even want to look at her hair. '' A mess'' was an huge understatement.

She brushed her teeth and put her hair in a weird-looking, really-messy bun. She couldn't bother untying the knots yet. Then she changed into the only large hoodie she could find in the pile of clothes on the armchair. She was pretty sure it was Sebastian's but right now she couldn't find the strength to care. He probably won't be mad anyway.

She knew she had to get it out of her system. The feeling on guilt and the panic of unknown and the regret that her family was falling apart and it was her fault. Though, technically she knew that that wasn't true, she just couldn't help it. And a few hours of heavy crying, maybe some song-writing and a little ice cream usually got her trough the day. But he also knew that Sebastian wasn't going to let her just sit and cry her eyes out like she needed to. He would probably try to talk to her out of it, tell her that it's not her fault, and that there's nothing she could do, but moving on, things she already heard hundreds of times, and only made her feel worse. She wanted to be alone. She didn't want to be alone, actually. But she needed it.

So, when he heard Sebastian wondering around the apartment, she splashed her face with water and pulled herself together a little. She followed the noises, finding her cousin in the kitchen.

''Morning, sunsh- hey, is that my hoodie?'' he asked, putting on one of his real smiles. She learned he had real smiles and fake smiles, yes.

''Um, yeah. I guess so, i just found it in my room and hoped you won't mind.'' her voice was hoarse, but it only trembled a little, which was a great accomplishment for her.

''You okay?'' he took a better look at her, and his face went from a-little-worried to full on panic in a matter of seconds. ''Iris, have you been crying? What the hell happened?''

''It's, it's nothing, i'll be fine. But i think it would be better if you and Mackie go looking without me.'' she said, trying to crack up a smile at the end, but ending up in a probably scary grimace.

''No, screw that. I'm not going anywhere, Mackie can get it done by himself. What happened? Does anything hurt?'' he asked again, moving in closer.

''I'm fine, Sebby, really. You should go, i just need to get some rest. I couldn't sleep last night. I uh- .. i had a nightmare.'' Yeah, that sounded like a good excuse. He might actually buy it.

''Are you sure? So you haven't been crying, right? '' No, not yet, she thought as she nodded her head.

''No tears, see?'' she even said, lifting up her chin so he could he her face batter. He squinted his eyes and looked at her with suspicion.

''Are you 100 percent sure you don't want me to stay with you?''

''And what, watch me sleeping?'' she tried to laugh, but i came out more as a cough. '' There's no need, okay? Go, help Mackie. I'll be in my room. Have fun and stop worrying 'bout me.'' she said, walking, or more like dragging herself, towards her bedroom.

''Call me if you need anything, okay? Promise me.'' he called after her, his voice still kind of doubtful and worried. It made her feel a little better, knowing that he cared so much.

''I promise!''

''All right. Sleep tight. And eat something later, 'kay?''

''Yes, mom.''

''I just- ... you're right, i'm sorry. But i was just trying to-'' he let the idea hang,and he just sounded so sad, and she couldn't stand it. Iris turned around and kissed him on the cheek, giving his wrist a little reasuring squeeze.

''I know. Don't apologize, it's nice to know you care, okay? But i really need to get some sleep, and you really need to help Mackie, you promised to mansit him, remember?''

''Yeah, right. I'm going. I'll check up on you later, all right?''

Iris nodded, and went back to bed, pretending to sleep until she heard the door being locked behind Sebastian. She knew it was rude to lie to him like that, and he totally didn't deserve it, but it was just easier than explaining the whole thing, and then also convincing him to give her some space. It might have not been the right thing to do, but it had been the wisest. Or so she kept telling herself.

When she thought it was safe, she moved on one of the red couches in the living room, taking her pillow, a notebook and a pen with her. Once she was settled, she allowed all the nagative thought take over her, feeling the tears burning in her eyes, and then down her face. And she felt just a little bit better. Letting go of all the emotions she bottled up this morning, and in the past tree weeks, since she last had a bad day.

And not five minutes later, she heard a key unlocking the door. Shit.

''Hey, Iris, it's just me, i forgot my-'' he trailed off when he saw her on the couch, face and eyes wet, moping like there was no tomorrow. ''Fuck. I knew we were not fine,why the fuck didn't i just- ... why didn't you just tell me? You can tell me, you know. I'm calling Mackie.'' he said, throwing his jacket on the drawer in the hallway.

''No, you don't have to-... please, just go with Mackie, i'll be fine, really. I just need some time... Sebby, please'' she pleaded, trying so hard to make the tears stop. But they just wouldn't stop.

''Time to what, Iris?'' he asked, looking a little hurt, because he probably thought that she didn't trust him enough to tell him what's wrong.

''To get it out of my system, i just need-... i'm fine, i really am.'' She was aware her words made almost no sense to him, but it wasn't like she could help herself or something.

''Get it out of your- ... Iris, did you take something?'' At first she didn't understand what he meant, but the pure terror on his face and the sudden paleness made in pretty clear.

''What- ... No, god, Sebby, no. I'm not drugged, i would never-... i just... i don't want to talk about it, why can't you understand that?!'' she retorted, her voice a little harsh. How could he even think she was capable of using drugs? She felt kind of betrayed, to be honest.''

''Why not? I could help you! Just tell me, goddammit!'' he said, rising his voice a little, like he was getting desperate.

''You can't help, all right? Stop pushing, for god's sake!''

''How do you know that? You can't possible know if i could help or not!'' he almost shouted the last part, raising his hand at shoulder-level.

''Stop it, already! You can't! You know almost nothing about me, you have no idea what's in my mind right now, and what i need! You have no idea! What makes you think you have the right to command me to tell you my problem? You can't fix anything! Deal with that and just leave me alone!

Iris basically ran in her bedroom, slamming the door behind her, and throwing herself on the bed. Sebastian didn't deserve any of that, he just wanted to help her because he cared. And she knew there weren't that many people that really cared about her. She felt miserable, like a horrible human being. She couldn't even pull herself together enough to stop crying and just apologize! Sebby really, really did not deserve that.

And it only got one hundred times worse when he knocked on her door.

''I know you don't wanna see me right now...'' he said, his voice low, and full of regret, and it almost broke Iris's heart hearing him like that. ''... but just listen to me then, okay?'' she could picture him, leaning against the door frame, with his head banging slightly on the door. ''I really didn't mean to push you. I'm sorry, okay? I'm really sorry. You're totally right. I'm in no position to demand answers like that. I just really thought i could help you. Not solve your problem, but just be there for you, you know. Because i just thought-... i mean... the past two weeks have been amazing, for me, at least and i really thought you started to trust me, and that you thought i'm a good guy, too. It didn't occurred to me that you might not want my help. I just need you to know that'i'm sorry, and i hope i -''

Iris couldn't take it anymore. She opened the door, still sobbing , and threw her arms around Sebastian's neck , burying her face in his chest. The tears were still dreaming down her face, but she felt a lot better, especially when he warped her arms around her in a tight embrace.

''I'm so sorry, i'm an idiot. I didn't mean any of that, i'm not right, stop saying that. I'm sorry. Really sorry, you just wanted to help me, and i know there aren't many people that truly want to just help me. I'm so so so sorry, i was a bitch, and i don't deserve any of this, i just-''

''Shhh'' he cut her off, one of his hand moving on her head, pressing her harder against his chest ''No, don't say that, shh, it's not true. You deserve everything, do you hear me? Never let anyone tell you different. Especially you. It's all right, everything's gonna be fine, okay? Look at me. Okay?'' he asked, lifting up her chin, so she could see his face.

''Can you forgive me?'' she asked after a few seconds, looking straight in his eyes. He smiled softly.

''Only if you can forgive me, too.'' he said, putting a lock of hair behind her ear.

''Deal'' she agreed, hugging him once more.

 

They ended up back on the couch, Sebastian sitting upright, with the pillow in his lap, and Iris lying,with her head on it. She explained him the whole good day - bad day thing, and he didn't pointed a finger at her saying she was crazy like she thought people would do. He just listened, caressing her hair from time to time, and saying it was okay.

''I know it's hard to, but maybe talking about it with someone will help. I mean, it doesn't have to be me, you can talk to Mackie, or Leighton. But just talk to someone.''

''I want to talk to you.'' she said, and he smiled kinda fondly.

''All right. Have you thought about who you're going to live with?''

''Yeah. With mom. I mean, she understands me more than dad does. We can have a conversation that doesn't end up in her acting like i'm six and me feeling like i'm five, you know?''  
''Oh, come on! Your dad is not that bad. I mean, yeah, he always was a little over-protective, but still''

''Ah, really? The one time he asked me if i wanna go out for dinner and i said yes he took me to McDonalts, for god's sake.'' she said, and he started laughing. ''And that's not even the best part. When we got there he asked me what toy did i want with my Happy Meal.''

''Well parents do that every time with their kids, it would have been worse if he didn't ask. What was the problem?'' he asked still laughing.

''The problem is that this happened three months ago, not when i was a kid.'' she said, chuckling a little too as Sebby threw his head back in another fit of laughter.

 

They stayed like that for the rest of the day, Iris just crying when the emotions were too much to handle, and Sebastian holding her and reassuring her. They watched ''Marley and me'' and even he shed a few tears at the end, when she was full on sobbing again, and it was nice in the strangest of ways. They just cried together. And the sky didn't collapse, nobody died, and The Statue Of Liberty was still standing. Everything was okay.

Later, she showed him her songs, and he read them all, and told her at least one thousand times that they're amazing, and that she's really good at writing them, but of course he did, what else could he have said. But then, out of nowhere he got her a guitar, and asked her to sing him something. And when she refused he started one of the most recent songs and got every note wrong, and she was laughing so hard it physically hurt.

In the end she grabbed the guitar and played the song, singing along with Sebastian, who had a really great voice, surprisingly. Especially that he knew what he was singing now. Then out of nowhere, he was standing at the piano in the living room (yeah, he did have a piano in the living room, but she figured it was just decorative. Apparently, not) and he began freaking playing the same song, without even having a music sheet for it, just by hearing it. And it sounded so damn good, it made Iris miss a chord. But she got right back on the track, and they sang her song, and it felt perfect.

Yeah, it was sloppy, and they both missed a few notes and a few chords, but it still felt perfect. Just like in the movies. Iris felt really, really lucky in that moment.

Because she actually was really, really lucky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There it was :) Tell me your thoughts on it maybe?  
> I'll upload chapter 5 in a few days.


	5. Long time, no see

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mackie has a plan, okay?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Sorry for the late update, i was out of town for a couple of days.  
> Thanks for reading it :)

Sebastian's POV

 

''What do you mean she had a bad day, is she okay?'' Mackie asked over the phone the next morning, his voice sounding a little worried.

''Yeah, yeah, she's fine now, man. It's okay.'' Sebastian said, smiling fondly at his friend's worry. ''She's still sleeping, though. But she's gonna be up soon, so what's the plan for today?''

''Well, i gotta find a DJ that doesn't have any plans for Saturday yet.''

''Wait, a DJ? Last time i checked, you were still looking for a club.''

''Well, buddy, the last time you checked was yesterday. And i'm a fast thinking man, you know that.'' Sebastian could basically hear Mackie smirking. ''And besides what's the point in owning a bar, if you can't even host your own parties there?''

''Oh, that's right! You do own a bar, i totally forgot. But- wait, you own a bar, and that's not the first place that popped into your mind? Not such a fast thinking man, dude, now are you.'' he said laughing, while setting the table for breakfast.

''Yeah, well, maybe not. But i do have a fast thinking girlfriend.'' Mackie replied.

''That you do, man, that you do. And as for the DJ, i could talk to one of my college buddies, if you want me to. It's a hobby of his, and last time i heard from him he was living with his girlfriend somewhere in New York.''

''Yeah, yeah! That'd be great. Thanks, man.''

''No problem! Anything else you need my assistance for, Mr. Anthony?''

''Well, there'd be one more thing. But it's more like a heads up. Evans called me yesterday- ''

''Here we go again...'' Sebastian rolled his eyes.

''- no, no. Just, hear me out, will ya? He called me, literally, just to ask if you were going to be at the party and he wanted me to give you his new number cause he changed his phone, or something. You were the only subject of the call. I just thought you should know that. I'll text you the number when we hang up.'''

_Oh, now that's interesting._

''A-and did he say anything else? Does he want me to call him or something? What am i supposed to do, Mackie?'' Sebastian asked, kind of panicked.

''I don't know, dude. Text him maybe? Ask him out? Get married? The choice is all yours.''

''Not funny. At all. Anyway, i think Iris's up. I gotta go. Talk to you later?''

''Yeah, dude, sure. Tell her i said hi. Evans, too'' 

''I don't even think i'm gonna call him.''

''I'm sure you won't, babe.''

Sebastian hung up, unable to keep himself from smiling. Why would Chris want to know whether or not he was gonna be at the party? _Out of pure curiosity. Because you're kind of friends. Or at least ex/co-stars. Stop thinking it's something else, it's **not.** _

''Are you blushing? Why are you blushing?'' Iris asked amused, pouring herself some coffee in one of the mugs on the table. She looked much better than last night, with the paleness gone, and puffy eyes from a good sleep, not from crying.

''Erm, i'm not blushing. Why would i be? There's no reason for me to blush. '' Okay, he was babbling again '' How are you feeling?''

''Much better. Thanks to my cousin.'' she said, coming up to him and giving him a kiss on the cheek. ''Really. Thank you, you've helped a lot. All this time i thought i needed to be alone to get trough it, but it was so much easier when you were there.''

''Hey, i'm glad i could help, okay? No need to thank me.''

''No, i do need to thank you. Also, about what you said. That you just wanted me to think you're a good guy?'' Sebastian nodded his head, looking away and she continued '' I don't think you're a good guy. I _know_ that you're a _great man_. And i'm proud to call you my cousin. I know it might not mean a lot to you, Sebby, but i'm proud of you, do you hear me? I'm proud of you.'' she said looking at him like she meant it. Like she admired him, and not just because he had a pretty face. He felt his chest being flooded with something, a warm, beautiful feeling. Love.

''No, Iris. It does mean a lot, it really, really does. Come here'' He pulled her into a tight bear hug. ''I'm glad you are here, you know?'' . He said and she smiled up at him, her eyes brighter than a few seconds ago.

''I'm glad, too.''

 

''Are you telling me that you own a club and that was not the first place you thought of when you decided to throw a party?'' Iris said aching an eyebrow, the next day in some random coffee shop Mackie texted them to meet him in.

''What i am telling you is that you two are clearly related.'' the man replied, rolling his eyes, pointing between Sebastian and Iris. ''Yes, i do own a club. No, that's not the first place i thought of when i decided to throw a party. Now that we got that settled, can we, please, proceed?''

''Hey, you're the one who called us here, remember?'' Sebastian said, adding two spoons of sugar to his black coffee. Yeah, he likes it sweet, so what?

Mackie looked behind him, toward the door, and then a wicked smirk spread slowly across his face as he said ''Well, you two are not the only ones i called, for the record''. He nodded his head in the direction of the entrance and Sebastian turned around, still hoping Mackie invited Scarlett, or Robert, or anybody else but-

Yeah, no such luck.

Chris Unbelievable-Tight- Jeans Evans walked inside, looking around the shop until he spotted them. Then he smiled, wide and bright, and it pretty much resembled to a sunrise for Sebastian. That's when he realized he was a total goner. Mackie was sooo gonna pay for this.

''Hey guys! Whoa, and who are you pretty lady? Mackie, you didn't say there were girls coming! I would've dressed up better or something'' he said, as he approached them, and he chuckled, and the way he moved was just so- ... ugh, so energetic, and somehow fluid at the same time, it was a beautiful thing to see.

WHAT THE HELL WAS HE TALKING ABOUT, did he just thought the way his friend- no, his co-star - moved was _beautiful_ ?! Okay, he might need another one of those black coffees. No sugar this time.

''Yeah, well, he didn't mention Captain Freaking America was gonna join us for coffee, either'' Iris said, more to Mackie than to Chris, but Chris was laughing that laugh of his that could make anyone smile even in the worst of times. ''I'm Iris, Sebastian's cousin.'' she continued, shaking his hand.

''Hi, Iris, Sebastian's cousin! I'm Chris. Aka Captain Freaking America, but please don't call me that, it intimidates people. I'm glad to meet you! '' he said, his smile never leaving his face. Then he turned toward Sebastian and he kind of forgot how to breathe.

''Basha!'' He said spreading his hands, like he was waiting for a hug. And maan, was he gonna get that hug.''Long time, no see.'' Chris continued, but this time a lot quieter, just for the two of them to hear. 

''Yeah...'' Sebastian agreed, still a little bit dizzy from Chris's hug. His scent, some fancy cologne mixed with just Chris, was so damn familiar, but still somehow out of reach. Maybe. Was he even making any sense? Either way, his moth was planning on saying something, cause it opened, but then:

''Oh maaaan! I totally forgot! Shit. I have to pick Tyler up from kindergarten in like- '' Mackie checked his watch, a little bit over-dramatically'' -ten minutes. Fuck, Dianne's gonna be mad if i'm late. Again.''

''But it's barely half past eleven'' Iris said, a little confused.

''No it's not. It's time for me to pick up my kid from kindergarten. And you're coming with me.'' he said, the ever so mischievous smirk ghosting over his lips.  
''I am?'' 

''Yes, you are. I can't deal with a five year old before 5 pm without a considerable amount of help . And you're great with kids, anyway. Maybe because you still are one, let's find out!'' Mackie was already on his feet, ready to leave.

''Hey, i am not a-''

'' I'll bring her back at, let's say, nine o'clock. Is that okay? Yes, it is okay, let's go Iris. Duty's calling.'' Sebastian is pretty sure the first part was adressed to him, but it was hard to process so much information all at once. Was Mackie seriously leaving him alone with Chris? Shit, he probably planed this all along.

 _But what could happen, though?_  
 **Nothing**. He was just going to catch up with Chris. His friend. Or his co-star, whatever. No big deal.

Except that it was. For him. Actually, that was the exact problem. It was a big deal only for him. He was the one that had a stupid fucking kinda-huge crush on his friend/ co-star. He was the one that noticed the muscles on Chris neck when he laughed. He was the one that wanted so much to find out how Chris's lips tasted. Well, he and the whole female population, but that was not the idea. The point was that he had unrequited feelings for this man, and he could do absolutely nothing about it. _Nothing._

''Basha, are you okay?'' Chris asked, his brow furrowed with concern. For him.

_**Goddammit, stop it, already!** _

''Yeah, yeah, i'm just glad to see you.'' he said, not even lying. Chirs's face melted in a warm expression, his mouth displaying half a smile.

''Me too. I've missed you, man.'' There was something weird in his voice, and Sebastian looked around for help, like someone could whisper to him what it was. But Mackie and Iris were gone, and where did they go, again?

He didn't even replied to Chris. He realized that, when the other coughed awkwardly and changed the subject, asking him about Iris. At least that was a topic he could talk to him about and not blush like he was a fourteen year old on his first date. Or so he thought.

But it came easily to him. Explaining the situation, and the way Iris made his world a lot more interesting, and even easier. He didn't feel alone anymore, now he felt useful. Like someone needed him. It was nice, really.

But, as he was soon reminded, that was not the only thing that came easily. Okay, that didn't sound as it should have. What he was trying to say is that talking to Chris was easy, and nice, and somehow comforting. And the way he laughed when Sebastian made a silly joke, or the way he smiled at him made Sebastian feel light-headed.

''So, it looks like you've got the whole day to yourself, now. Wanna go to a movie or something?'' Chris asked , suddenly, and Sebastian's knees went a little tiny bit weak. Was Chris asking him out? _What the hell are you talking about?! Of course **not**. He just wants to watch a damn movie, and he feels bad that you're all alone. Christ! _

''Umm, yeah, sure. Why not?'' and Chris's face made this adorable pleased expression and Sebastian was starting to wonder if he could make it through the day. 

Probably not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kay, so, i'm going on a camp tomorrow, so i won't be able to write anymore, for like a week?  
> But that gives me plenty of time to think about the plot, so the next chapter will be better (i hope).  
> Anyway, i hope you all like the story so far :)


	6. Wait, what

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Somebody has a little revelation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, i know i am unbelievable late with this one, and i am incredibly sorry for it, but i can explain. And i will, in the end notes.  
> Meanwhile, i hope you enjoy the chapter :)

Iris's POV

 

''Let's pick my kid up from kindergarten'' he said. ''Duty's call'' he said. ''It'll be fun'' he said.

Oh well, it's not! Iris thought as she struggled to untangle her hair.Turn out Mackie's little boy wasn't that little, after all. And now she had chewing gum in her hair, along with another few things she'd rather not talk about. But the worst part was probably the way Tyler looked at her from across the room, all smug and a terrifying smirk spread all over his face.

And meanwhile where was Mackie? Out, buying them lunch. Yeah right! At least that's what he said. Two freaking hours ago. And every time she'd call him, he'd make a lame excuse and hang up. Iris really wondered why was she even surprised.

But, hey, at least she had time to figure out what was up with Sebby. That, of course, if Tyler would've been kind enough to stop throwing legos at her. But he wasn't. She could see where he got that feature from. 

Speaking of the devil, she heard the key unlock the front door and she basically almost started crying with relief when she saw Mackie coming in, his hands full of McDonalt's bags.

''You better have a very good explanation for all this, or else i'm telling Dianne you kidnapped me and forced me to take care of your little kid while you went out having fun with actual humans!''

''Awe little Cuz, you're just over-reacting. And besides, Tyler over here is an actual human being, you know?'' Mackie said hugging the little brat, who for the first time this evening, did the right thing, smacking his dad on the face with a robot toy. ''Okay, i take that back, maybe he is half monkey''

''I wonder where he got it from!'' Iris murmured to herself and Mackie stared laughing.

''I can see you're mad at me, but i kidnapped you for a very reasonable reason. For the greater good, if you want to put it this way.'' he said, like he was pleased with himself.

''I really don't see how me babysitting you and your kid makes the world better.''

''It does, by me not acidentally setting anything on fire. But i wasn't talking about that greater good.'' Mackie winked and what the hell was he talking about?

''Oh well, please, do enlighten me, then.''

''Can't do, little Cuz. Figure it out yourself, you're smart. And it's right in front of you.'' Iris looked at the pile of dirty clothes on the coffee table in front of her and made a face. '' I didn't mean literally in front of you, geez, sometimes the resemblances between you two hit me like a fucking train.''

''Between the two of - ... wait is this about Sebby?'' Iris asked, kind of panicked because what is Sebastian was tired of having her around? What if he wanted more space? 

''Yes, it is about him. No, it's not about him getting tired of you, stop making that kicked puppy face, will you?'' 

What, was he a mind reader now?

''No, i'm not a mind reader. You're just thinking out loud again.''

Oh, right.

 

Three hours and a revelation later, Iris was in the elevator searching for the keys to Sebby's penthouse. How could she not see this before? I mean, it all seemed so obvious once she put the pieces together. And Mackie's grin once she started shouting ''OH DUMNEZEULE, pe bune?! Cum adica, nu, nu, nu cred, nu se poate, SERIOS?!''* followed by an impressive amount of Romanian profanities.

''Now we're talking! Come on, i gotta deliver you back to him before my kid learns how to swear in more foreign languages than he already has.'' Mackie said, getting off the couch.

So there she was, going back to her cousin, with absolutely no plan. But she had to ask him, had to make sure she was right. She hoped he was already back. But even if he wasn't, she was just going to take a shower and think about a strategy. How do you even ask your cousin if he seriously has a crush on another man. And not just another man. On Captain Freaking America? Really, Sebby? Like, don't get her wrong, she really understood, but why wouldn't he just tell her?

She unlocked the door, half expecting the flat to be empty and half expecting Sebby to be in the kitchen trying to make dinner. But this? This was so not on her expectation list. Because it would be totally unhealthy to have shirtless Chris Evans in unholy tight (and surprisingly colored) jeans with his hair dripping all over the couch in the living room on your expectation list, right? Right.

So you can see the reason behind Iris's shock. 

''Oh, wow, Iris! Hi! Umm, we didn't expect you to be home so soon, umm- ... '' Oh god. Where was Sebastian anyway, and why on earth were there clothes scattered all over the floor, and the cusions on the couch were not on the couch anymore, cause they were everywhere else and oh sweet jesus, why? Iris slept on that couch!

Her mouth must have been hanging, because Chris seemed to realize what it all looked like and his face just changed from mildly embarrassed to completely terrified.

''Wait, no, that didn't came out right, we didn't... ughh, this is so awkward, i, umm-''

''Are you talking to yourself there, buddy?'' Sebastian yelled from the bathroom, and Iris could feel the amusement in his voice.

''Umm, no. Actually, he's talking to me, Sebby.'' Iris said almost wanting to cover her eyes.

''Iris? When did you- '' Sebastian came into the living room, wearing nothing but a god damned towel hung loose around his waist. He stopped for a second, looking from Iris to Chris a few times then at himself. Then at the mess around them. And only then did he realize why this situation was very socially disturbing.

''Listen guys, i can go for a really, really long walk and then we could all pretend this never happened, how does that sound?'' Iris suggested, trying not to laugh at the blushes she got as a response.

''But nothing happened! I know it looks bad, but we can explain!'' Sebastian tried, sounding like a teenage boy whose mom just caught him in bed with a girl. Or a boy, for that matter.

''You really don't have to. Seriously!''

''No, just listen!'' Chris said, almost laughing, because this was absolutely ridiculous. ''We were walking in Central Park, and you know how there are these stupid crazy events, like, on a daily basis. And apparently today was a water fight, only that it was not with water. It was with freaking body paint. And we got caught right in the middle.''

''Yeah, and the penthouse was closer to the park than his hotel, so i told him to take a shower here instead of walking around New York with this rainbow T-shirt.'' Sebastian added, looking like he's about to laugh, too.

''Body paint, wow. That sounds.. wow. But still, i'm not cleaning up here, guys. So you'd better get started. And i'm gonna go make dinner. Any preferences?''

''Yeah, about that... I have a meeting with my manager in, like, half an hour? So i kind of have to get going now, cause she'll kill me if i'm late again. Slowly, painfully and _literally_.'' Chris said, rubbing the back of his neck.

''Umm sure, just, wait a second-'' Sebastian said, disappearing in his bedroom.

''I promise to make it up to you for all this'' Chris said, looking at Iris with an apologetic smile.

''I bet you will.'' Iris replied, chuckling to herself, as Sebby returned with one of his large hoodies.

''Here, '' he said, tossing it to Chirs ''Unless you want to go to the meeting shirtless. Which would probably get you out of a lot of troubles, actually.'' 

Chris laughed, and putting on the hoodie, and lucky for him, Sebastian liked large hoodies, so it was close to Chris's size. ''Gee, thanks. So.. thoughtful of you, Basha. I'll give it back to you at the party. You're still coming, right? Both of you.'' he said, smiling kind of hopeful.

''Mackie would probably murder us if we didn't so, yeah, we'll be there.'' Iris said, thinking about Saturday. '' By the way, _Basha_ , -''  
''No, no, no, sister! I'm the only one who gets to call him 'Basha', alright? So find a new nickname.'' Chirs said, smirking. Literally, smirking. One quick glance at her cousin confirmed what she was already pretty sure about. His cheeks were so red you could probably make a stake on them.

''Whoa, there. Possessive much, Captain?'' Iris said laughing. ''I was just gonna tell him we have to go on a trip to the mall or something. And soon.''

''You didn't pack a dress, right?'' Sebastian concluded, smiling amused.

''Now, nobody thought it was worth mentioning that we're gonna attend VIP parties anytime soon, so no, i did not pack a dress, thank you very much.''

''Well, good luck with that!'' Chris said, laughing all the way to the door. ''See you there, guys.'' 

And just like that, he was gone.

 

Saturday noon, after a couple of days of intense (and also pointless) dress hunting, Iris threw herself on the couch besides Sebastian, burying her head in the cushions and basically growling.

''What, are you summoning the dead now?'' he asked amused, putting the book he was reading on the coffee table and stretching his arms over the backrest.

''I might be. Maybe i can assemble a zombie army and they can all go looking for a decent dress that doesn't make me look like a sausage.'' 

''Oh about that... So, somebody dropped by today while you were out jogging and left a little present on your bed.'' Sebby informed her, with a subtle smile at the corner of his mouth. Iris squinted her eyes at him, and he gave her shoulder a little nudge toward the bedroom.

Iris just shrugged and got off the couch. 

On her bed, there was an elegant gray box, wrapped in a blood red ribbon. Iris saw a little note next to it and took it in her hand. It read " _Told you i was gonna make it up to you. I hope this solves your dress hunting problem :)_ ''. No signature, or name or anything, but it's not like she needed one to know Chris Evans just bought her a dress. _**Chris Evans** just bought her a dress._

Yep, it was definitely a dress. A _beautiful_ one, too. Black and sleeveless, with a girdle the same color as the ribbon and it was simple perfect. She put in on in record time, and almost started crying with relief when she looked in the mirror. She looked good. Really good.

''Whoa! You look.. wow. He really got it right, didn't he?'' Sebastian said from the doorway, with a weird expression on his face.

''That, Sebby, is a huge understatement. It's downright perfect! I love it! I totally get why you-'' Iris stopped herself rethinking what she was about to say. When she first realized that Sebastian liked Chris that way, she was determined to talk to him about it, but then she just convinced herself it wasn't any of her business, and she had no right to force Sebastian to tell her things he didn't want to share. If he wanted her to know, he would've told her.

''Something wrong?'' Sebastian asked with a concerned look, probably because she stopped mid sentence, with her mouth hanging.

''What? Uh, no, no, everything's fine. I just think we should start getting ready for the party.'' Iris replied, smiling. 

She tried to think about the fact that Chris gave her the most amazing dress in the world, and not the fact that her cousin didn't trust her enough to tell her about his feelings.

It didn't work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *''OH DUMNEZEULE, pe bune?! Cum adica, nu, nu, nu cred, nu se poate, SERIOS?!'' = ''OH GOD, really?! What do you mean, no, no, i don't believe it, no way, SERIOUSLY?"  
> So, that was chapter 6, i hope you liked it.  
> Also, as an explanation for not posting: remember when i said i was going on an English camp? Yeah, basically there are British volunteers coming to Romania to teach kids English, and i go on this camp every year, and this year, my teacher was this 19 year old dorky boy from Wales, and i kind of developed this huge crush on him. And i think he liked me back a little bit too. And i probably won't ever see him again, so i needed a couple of weeks to get over that. And then there's the fact that i am moving to another city, so i had to pack some things. Plus that we went on a one week trip to Greece, and there's no way i could have written anything there.  
> But now i'm home and i'm probably going to update at least once a week :)


	7. There goes nothing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian needs things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There it is, guys, the party chapter! Or at least half of the party, anyway.  
> Hope you like it :)

Sebastian's POV

 

He could do this. He could totally pull this off, right? Right. 

But what if he won't be able to control himself? No, no. He could do it. 

Sebastian felt like his head could explode anytime now. His non-date - _because that was **not** a date, no way it could have been _ \- with Chris was great. It just felt so natural to be around him, to talk to him. Sebastian was a little panicked, because there was no way this was gonna end good for anybody. He had already started getting attached, and that was never, **never** a good sign.

And the worst part is that, for a moment, he actually thought Chris felt the same about him. It was just something in the way Chris looked at him one time, on the way back to the penthouse, when they were both covered in rainbows and sunshine. Ah, the irony.

But of course he brushed it off seconds later, and Sebastian convinced himself it was nothing, _because it was nothing_. And even then, Chris's eyes were still fresh in his mind, making him want to just take the man home, put him in his closet and never share him with anybody. To just keep him there forever. Is that so bad?... **Yes, it probably is.**

This whole thing was getting out of hand. He couldn't risk ruining the friendship he shared with Chris just because of his stupid feelings. No, he made a promise to the universe that he wouldn't let himself do that . He had to stop, this had to stop.

That's why, tonight he was going to treat Chris just like any other friend of his. That's it. No sweet looks, or subtle touches or any of that crap. Nope. He was going to be professional. Yes, that's right, professional.

And he really thought he had it all figured out, until the moment he and Iris walked into Mackie's bar. Of course Chris had to be the first to come and greet them. 

**God fucking dammit.**

Just like that all of Sebastian's plans and self preparation went right down the drain, because Chris's hand was on his chest and his other hand on his shoulder, and sweet baby jesus how was he going to even survive this?!

''There you are! For a second there i thought you were going to leave me alone with all these boring people.'' Chris said, flashing one of those bright smiles.

''Heard that.'' Mackie interrupted passing by them, to greet some other guests.

''Was counting on that.'' he fake-whispered back, in the host's direction. ''Back to the good people now, so, Iris, am i forgiven for borrowing him for a whole day?'' Chris asked, putting on a puppy face, while pointing at Sebastian.

''Let's just say you can borrow him for more than a whole day if this is your way of apologizing'''she retorted, accentuating her point with a wink.

Sebastian panicked for a second. Was it possible for Iris to know...- no, he was just being paranoid. Chris laughed, saying that he'll keep that in mind for the next time. The problem, Sebastian's problem, was that his just-another-friend looked him straight in the eyes while stating that, and it was not okay, alright? Chris was making this unfairly hard for him.

''Oh, look who finally decided to show up. '' Jeremy materialized out of thin air, arms wide open. He bear hugged each of them, snapping Sebastian out of his brooding in the process. ''And who is this little dame over here?'' 

''Stop trying to impress, will you honey, they already know you.'' Scarlett piped in, greeting the guys, then facing Iris. ''You must be Iris? '' she said, extending her hand. Jeremy muttered something like ''Same goes to you, _honey_ '', but she gracefully pretended not to hear him.

''That would be me, yes. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm a big fan of both of you.'' Iris had this polite, but genuine smile, and Sebastian's heart was filled with pride for a brief moment, as his little cousin shook hands with his friends. 

''So, where are the others?'' He asked, a few moments later because he was starting to be aware of Chris's presence again. Maybe because Chris was getting a little bit in his personal space. Not enough for the others to notice, of course. Sebastian was fifty percent sure not even Chris himself realized it but he surely did. And it did things to him, so he had to get away somehow.

''Well, as you can see, Dianne made Mackie play the good host, so my guess is he won't be joining us anytime soon.'' Scarlett started '' And i assume Ruffalo is somewhere regretting his friend decisions while Hiddleston is comforting Downey because Susan couldn't come. A charity event or something like that.'' Jeremy continued.

''Or so he told us.'' Chris added, smirking like he knew something the others didn't. Sebastian tried to ignore it, he really did.

''What about Hemsworth?''

''Mackie said Hemsworth might not make it. One of his little ones caught the flu.'' Jeremy said, slipping his hand around Scarlett's waist

''Now that we got that settled, let's sit down guys, i have an announcement to make.'' Scar said, her face lightening up, as Jeremy gently pulled her closer. '' **We** have an announcement to make.''

 

''You're WHAT?'' Mackie basically shouted two hours later, when everyone finally sat down at the same table.

''You have a kid, Mackie, you should know what the word 'pregnant' means.'' Jeremy mocked, all smug and proud of himself.

Sebastian couldn't say he was as shocked as his (already a little bit drunk) friend over there. But he would lie if he said he wasn't a little bit sad. Not for Scar and Jeremy, of course. God knows he was thrilled for them, they were so happy together and they deserved this child. He was just a little bit sorry for himself, maybe. All his friends were either married or engaged or expecting a baby, while he didn't even had someone to keep him warm at night.

For some really stupid reason Sebastian looked at Chris, and his heart stopped for a moment, because this eyes were glued on him. But then he realized Chris was looking past him, staring into space. Maybe he felt lonely, too. Just... _maybe._

After everybody congratulated the happy couple, they started talking about family and settling down, and Sebastian was really starting to feel sad. Bless Iris for noticing, though. She tried to make it better for him, reassuringly putting her hand on his shoulder, and constantly trying to change the subject . Sebastian really loved her.

After a while, he started zoning out. Maybe it was the booze, but he began to think about Chris. About the way he looked at him sometimes. And the non-date. And Chris in his personal space. It was overwhelming, actually. So overwhelming that letting it all out didn't seem like such a bad idea anymore. There was a chance that Chris felt the same about him, right? There had to be.

Oh well, only one way to find out.

Just like he had read his mind, Chris got up and excused himself, saying he needed some fresh air and that he'll be right back.

Well, here goes nothing.

He waited a couple of minutes, because for some reason he didn't want to be that obvious to the others. That, and his head was spinning like crazy. What in the world was in that drink anyway? Because boy, was it _strong_. But it made the stupid things in his stomach go away. What was he even scared of in the first place? He couldn't remember.

He followed Chris out, his steps a little clumsy, but they got him there, didn't they. In his head, he was gonna burst trough the bar's doors and shout his undying love for the man like in one of the movies he saw once. But for some reason, he didn't. Probably because when he finally got out of the bar, he saw Chris a few feet away leaning on the wall, back at Sebastian. He looked tired, maybe sad, his head bent a little bit down, like he was staring at his feet.

He didn't seem to have acknowledged Sebastian's presence, so for some reason, he thought it would be a good idea to surprise him. He took a few as-quiet-as-possible-in-this-state-steps, before he noticed the phone Chris was talking into. His voice was low, private and Sebastian's stomach dropped has he heard him say ''Yeah, yeah... i know i wasn't there, i'm sorry. I'll try to be there next time. I promise.'' There was a little pause, and Sebastian assumed the person on the other line was talking. ''I miss you, too. Very, very much. Okay, okay, take care. '' Another pause. ''I love you more, you know that.'' 

Sebastian didn't stick around for the end of the conversation. He didn't think he could take it.He didn't even know what hurt him more, his head or his heart. He went back inside, bumping in three different persons on the way to the bathroom. He splashed his face with ice cold water, but it didn't work. How could water help him with the fact that Chris had a girlfriend? Nothing could help him with that. He felt jealous, and sad, and overall miserable.

He wanted to forget everything. All these feelings, and Chris's face, and name and everything related to him, he just wanted to forget all of it. So that's what he was going to do.

 

Sebastian went back to the others with a forced smile on his face. Chris was back to, looking a little bit worried, as did the others actually.

''Basha, is everything okay? I thought i saw you outside, but you stormed back in before i could ask you what's wrong.'' 

Sebastian cringed at the nickname, and at the sting in stomach. ''There's nothing wrong. Why would there be? We're here, we're together , it's a beautiful night, let's drink up!'' He said, emptying the nearest glass on the table. Everybody looked at him like he was crazy, and maybe he was but he couldn't afford giving any fucks. He just shrugged, turning around and getting lost in the crowd.

The music was so loud he felt like his heart was beating along with the beat. It was good, but still not enough. His head was still full of pitiful thoughts, and hurtful images. Chris saying ''I love you more'' was almost as loud as the techno song blasting out of the speakers.

He needed something else. Something that could distract him from all this.

_Maybe **someone.** _

He looked around for a few moments. And there she was, exactly what he needed. And she was looking at him like he was dessert. Perfect.

He was going to forget.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed it :)  
> If you have anything to say about it, please do.


	8. Well, how about that...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A certain sad puppy is being very silly. Stupid, actually. And because of that, we now have 3 sad puppies. Way to go, Seb, way to go!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, i know i'm super-ultra-hyper late with this one. And i'm super-ultra-hyper sorry about it. I just had a huge writer's block and i started high school a few weeks ago and it's been a little rough, but yes, i know, that's no excuse. I'm sorry, once again, and i promise i'll try to be better next time :)

There was definitely something wrong.

Iris noticed Sebastian getting tense as soon as they walked trough the doors of Mackie's bar, but she didn't give it much thought. Now, though... well now something was really wrong.

First off, Sebastian was totally wasted. He was only a little bit tipsy when he said he was going ''to the bathroom'' (it was painfully obvious that he went outside after Chris), but after he came back- no, after he stormed back inside and hid in the bathroom for half an hour- he just started emptying every glass he could reach, insisting he was fine. Even when people stopped asking. It was like he was trying to convince himself, more than anything.

And it's not like Sebastian getting wasted was that big of a deal. She knew he had a history with this kind of thing, and she had half seen it coming. But not like this, not her cousin drinking his thoughts away and dirty dancing with strangers, and not even talking to any of his friends. She wasn't prepared for this. Being careful not to forget to take the spare key to the penthouse? That, sure! But watching Sebastian literally grinding against anyone standing near enough? That, no, she hadn't expected that. She had no idea how to handle that, how to help him. She just didn't.

That's how she ended up sitting at the same table with all these great actors, that she was looking up to, and not even being able to enjoy it. She didn't talk much with anybody either. Tom tried to cheer her up a few times, joking and making impressions of other celebrities, but it didn't quite work. Yes, it was Tom Hiddleston, and yes, she basically worshiped him, but she just couldn't think at anything else than the reason Sebastian acted that way. Maybe Chris had said something to him. But if that was true, why was Chris just as miserable as she was right now? Maybe he regretted saying it. Iris really wanted to ask him what the heck was going on, but he didn't look like he was in the mood for an interrogation.

So she just sat there, observing and thinking. Scarlett kept looking at her in some way, it made her stomach flip. It wasn't mean or anything, but Iris got the feeling that Scarlett thought she wasn't supposed to be here. Like she was too young to be surrounded by drunk people grinding against each other. And frankly, she couldn't be more right. Iris wanted so much to get out of there, but she literally had nowhere to go. 

This was the worst Saturday night ever.

And the worst part was when she saw Sebastian heading towards the door, holding hands with some random bimbo. She was just as drunk as he was, tripping at every step - not that it was a surprise to anyone, considering the six inch heels she was wearing. Also, Iris was pretty sure she had t-shirts longer than that chick's dress. And she wasn't going to mention the heavy make-up. Even the best clown in the circus would envy her.

But that didn't seem to stop Sebastian. He didn't even look back, just walked out the door with that girl and just like that he was gone. And Iris was mortified.

She desperately looked over at Chris, clinging to the hope that she just imagined the whole thing but nope. His eyes were glued to the door as well, an unreadable expression on his face.   
„Did Stany just left with that...that thing buried in make up and glitter or did i just drink too much?” Robert said after a few seconds of painful silence.

„Yep. Also you did drink too much.” Jeremy said, taking the glass of scotch away from him.

Iris felt a lot like crying. She was shocked and mad and frustrated and she had absolutely no idea what to do. How could Sebastian just leave like that? What in the world was she supposed to do now? Even though she had the spare key, she couldn't go back to the penthouse.

„I-... umm, i need some air.” she said to no one in particular, getting up.

„Mind if i join you” Chris murmured , but it wasn't even a question, he just followed her outside.

„Did you say anything to him? Anything that could make him...” she asked once the doors of the bar were closed behind them. But she trailed off, not knowing how to finish the sentence. Chris fell silent for a few seconds, and Iris finally looked up to meet his eyes. He looked confused, and if she didn't know any better she’d say there was a hint of pain there too.

„No, i ...- i didn't... We barely talked all night, he wouldn't even look at me! – wait... you think... you think this is my fault? That it’s something i did?” 

„I- ..i don’t know, Chris... I have no idea. I thought i finally got him, that i finally understand him. But i don’t know what to think anymore... I just assumed he told you and you didn't take it well and he flipped, i don’t know” Iris was just vaguely aware of the fact she was babbling, but she couldn't stop herself in time and now she wasn't even sure she cared that much.

„Told me-...Wait, what was he supposed to tell me?”. Well, crap.

„Hey Evans, have you seen...” Mackie basically stumbled out of the bar just in time, with the face and posture of a drunk man „Oh, there you were, little Cuz. Since our beloved common friend left you here, let me know when you wanna go home, i’ll give you a ride.” 

„I doubt Dianne agrees with you giving anybody a ride right now, Mackie. Don’t worry about it, i got it covered. Go sleep it off, buddy. You’re gonna have a long day tomorrow.’’ Chris said, rubbing his eyes, like he was trying to convince a 6 year old that Santa doesn't exist.

„Are-.. are you sure, man? I mean, Sebastian’s gonna kill me if i don’t get her home safely, maybe i should-...’’

„No, Mack, i’m cool, thanks. No worries. And i doubt Sebastian is able to kill anybody right now...” Iris mumbled the last part, but who could blame her.

„Really, dude, she’s in good hands. I’ll deliver her home safer than she’s ever been, trust me. I’m Captain America, remember” Chris said, but it came off a little bit sarcastic and self-deprecating, if you ask Iris.

„Course you are. How could i forget. You keep reminding me every single damn time...” Mackie said as he went back inside, letting the silence fall between them again.

„You do realize i can’t go back to the penthouse, right? They’re probably there and i- ...” Iris began, but Chris cut her off.

„Iris, i haven’t had that much to drink. I haven’t had anything but mineral water, actually. Of course i’m not taking you back there. But spending the night at Mackie's while he’s drunk and Dianne is pissed is not a good idea, trust me. You’re coming back to my hotel. They gave me this suite and there’s a huge comfy bed in the guest room. Much better than sharing a couch with Mackie.”

„Sharing a couch with...? What are you-...”

„There's no way Dianne is letting him sleep in their bedroom tonight.” Chris said, a ghost of a smile playing over his lips. „ Come on, i think we all need some sleep, don't you? We’ll talk to him in the morning.”

It didn't take a genius to understand that „he” was Sebastian, and that neither Chris, nor Iris looked forward to that conversation.

A little bit of shuteye sounded really good right now. And it’s not like Iris could do anything else but accept the guest room for the night. She shuddered at the thought of being all alone, at this time of the night and in this dress, wandering the streets of New York.

Nope, that was so not an option.

So she just shrugged, nodding her head while staring at the ground, because she couldn't bring herself to look Chris in the eyes. She was so ashamed, and she didn't even know why. Maybe because she almost gave Sebastian’s secret away. Or maybe because he left her here all alone and she was beyond helpless, without Chris. It didn't even matter anymore, she just wanted it all to be over.

Chris led her trough the parking lot to the car, and she let slip a sigh of relief when she saw Sebastian’s car was still there. At least he still had enough presence of mind to not drive while being totally wasted. A quick glance at Chris who also stared at the car, told her that he was thinking the same thing. Well, good to know she wasn't the only one worried sick.

Which was rather interesting. Why was Chris doing all this after all? Basically taking care of her for Sebastian, and being all worried and Iris was 86% sure she caught a glimpse of jealousy in that sea of sadness and worry that was Chris’s face. 

Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew that it probably wasn't normal to think about such things in this situation, but anything that kept her mind off what Sebastian was probably doing right now was a blessing.  
So that’s how she fell asleep, in the queen sized bed that was in the guest room of Chris Evans’s hotel suite. Thinking of the possibility that Sebastian’s unrequited feelings maybe weren't that unrequited after all. 

Jesus, if someone would've had asked her three months ago how she was going to spend her summer, never in her wildest dreams would've she even thought about this scenario.

And frankly she had no idea if she should be glad to be here or not...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea if this chapter was worth the wait, and i know it's a little short, i'm sorry about that too :\  
> Anyway, i still hope you liked it :)


	9. What now?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Somebody started their day reaaaally bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, here's chapter 9, i hope you'll like it.  
> Also, i think i'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel for this fic, guys :) but i do have a few more chapters in store, i'm not gonna leave it hanging like this, don't worry :)

Sebastian's POV

 

Oh no. 

No, no, no, this wasn't happening. It couldn't possibly be-

Well fuck.

Sebastian slowly put back down the cover that was wrapped around his body. His naked body, to be specific. The girl next to him, also wearing her birth costume, was snoring satisfied, smearing make up all over the white pillow.

He looked around, finding himself in an unfamiliar bed, next to a total stranger. And just looking at her in the morning light peeking from behind the curtains made him cringe. He was glad he couldn't completely remember last night.

What he did remember, though, was Chris. Or, more like Chris talking to his girlfriend. Well technically he couldn't know for sure that that was his girlfriend he was talking to, but who else could it have been?! So no one can blame him for wanting to drink his pain away, right? And Mackie's party was the perfect excuse to-… Wait… Mackie's party… there was something about it that he felt like he should remember. Argh, that goddamn headache made it all blurry, but-

Oh no.

God fucking damn it! How could he have been so… Oh doamne, nu-i adevarat…*

IRIS.

He fucking forgot about Iris. He just left her there! Stupid fucking moron, he should never be allowed to drink again! Fucking hell, what had he done?

He got up in 0.2 seconds, not giving a damn if he woke the girl up or not, he had to find his clothes! And he did, a few moments later, scattered all around the floor, and how in the world did that sock got on the freaking vent?! 

On a second thought, he decided he did not want to know. He dressed up as quickly as his hangover allowed him, a thousand thoughts crossing his mind as once, making him want to scream. He was panicked, and worried, and ashamed, but he tried to push the latter in the back of his head. That could chew at him later, now he had to find Iris.

He looked for his phone, but it wasn't anywhere in the bedroom. He was hardly surprised when he found it on the bathroom floor, right next to the half full bathtub. 

Sebastian picked it up like it was a bottle of water in the middle of the desert. It was, unsurprisingly, turned off, and turning it back on was frankly one of the longest moments in his life.

A quick glance at the screen told him that it was half past ten and he had 6 new messages.

RENNER: '' You're so screwed, Scar is pissed.'' 

Normally, Scarlett being pissed would make him shit his pants, because that woman was rarely even moody, let alone pissed. But that was the least of his worries right now. 

HIDDLESTON: " I hope the fun you had last night was worth it, because you made two people very, very miserable, buddy." Wait, two people? What was he even talking about? Not that it mattered right now…

RDJ: " WHAT WERE U THINKING, THAT CHICK WAS UGLY AS FUCK"

MACKIE: "ur fucked. "

MACKIE: "like big time."

The last message caught his attention though. It was from Chris.

CHRIS: "I've got Iris, come pick her up when you wake up." It also contained an address and a hotel room number. 

Sebastian couldn't decide between feeling relieved or banging his head on the nearest wall until he was unconscious. It was a really, really hard decision.

He sighed, cursing his stupid judgment as he stormed out of the building he'd spent the night in, really hoping he's never going to see that girl again.

He took a cab to Chris's hotel, trying his best to ignore the disapproving glances the driver was giving him. Yeah, he got wasted, and he had done something really stupid, do you actually think he doesn't realize it? He does, thank you very much, no need for that whole ''disappointed in you, son'' look you got going on.

Even as he walked through the five star hotel's lobby, he felt like everybody stopped and looked at him. Judging him. He wanted to crawl in a hole and die, but it this wasn't about what he wanted anymore, was it? It was about the people he had let down.

Room 307. That was it. He took a deep breath (which he didn't let out right away) and knocked.

He heard someone moving inside, and then the door opened, revealing a tired-looking Chris. He could tell that just from the posture, not the eyes. He couldn't bring himself to lift his gaze that high.

''Hey'' Chris said with a hoarse voice, moving out of the way to let him in. Sebastian entered, desperately looking around for Iris, but there was no sign of her. ''She's still sleeping.'' He continued, nodding his head toward a closed door on the right side of the room. But Sebastian knew better than that. Iris never slept past ten, no matter how late she stayed up. He had a pretty good idea of what Iris was actually doing. He still hoped he was wrong though.

''Want a coffee? You look like you could use one.'' Chris asked, dragging Sebastian out of his own head. He nodded his head, finally looking up to see Chris's face. He had dark circles under his eyes and he looked kind of sad. Which made no sense. But he wasn't looking at him either. And that made Sebastian's heart ache even more.

Chris poured him a cup of coffee, then sat down on the sofa, with his own cup in his hands. He sipped slowly, his gaze lost in space and Sebastian couldn't take it anymore.

''Chris, i- ''

''You don't need to explain yourself to me, Basha'' he cut him off, finally meeting his eyes. They were so soft and sad that Sebastian zoned out for a couple of seconds. But then, just like that they turned hard as he continued ''But just think of Iris before doing something like that again, alright?''

''I didn't mean to-… I just…'' he couldn't find the right words, but it was like Chris understood anyway, because that softness was back, and he felt just a little bit better.

''I know.'' Chris said, a sad faint smile playing over his lips.

They sat in silence for the next few minutes, Sebastian trying to make sense of everything. Of anything. The hangover was still taking its tool on him, though, so that didn't really worked out. A few glances at Chris confirmed what Sebastian already assumed. Chris was staring into nothing, probably just as lost in his thoughts as he had been a few moments ago. But what messed with Sebastian's head was why? Why did Chris seemed so affected? Of course, he had expected him to be uncomfortable for having to take care of Iris last night, but what was with all the sadness and the empty looks?

It was almost as if Chris- … no. This was not the right time.

''I … umm, I should go wake her up.'' He said, getting off the couch and immediately regretting it. His stomach really disagreed with him moving in any way but he struggled to compose himself.

''Are you sure? You don't look very hot. Here, I'll show you where the bathroom is- .'' Chris offered, setting his cup on the coffee table and sprinting to Sebastian's side

''No, it's okay, I'm fine'' Sebastian tried to ignore Chris's hand on his shoulder but he couldn't help but stare at it. It was like his whole balance was in that hand, keeping him from falling, in more than one way. But then, Chris took his hand back like it burned him and Sebastian regained his breath, only to feel the hollow forming in his chest.

Chris took a few steps back, keeping his eyes glued on the ground and making a wide gesture with his hand toward the guest room door, like he was inviting him to go inside.

Sebastian took a deep breath, remembering himself why he was here and ignoring the burn in his eyes. He knocked softly on the door, but he knew there wasn't going to be any answer. He just wanted to let Iris know he was coming in.

She was curled up under the sheets, only a few strands of hair giving away the fact that under that pile of covers there was an actual person.

''You're an idiot.'' Iris murmured, voice harsh either from sleep or from tears, he couldn't tell precisely. She didn't move, didn't even glanced at him.

'' Iris, I'm sorry… It was stupid of me and I promise I'll never- ''

''No, shut up, don't you dare say it won't happen again, because we both know it will! Just face it, goddammit!'' This time she sat up, face full of anger and frustration. There was a spark in her eyes, passion or determination, he couldn't tell, but it caught him off guard for a moment. His mother got the same spark lighting up her eyes whenever she talked about something she loved.

''No, I swear! I'll never give up on you like that again. Never!''

She looked confused for a moment, then she lit up again.

''Do you honestly think I was talking about me? This has nothing to do with me, Sebastian. This is about you not having the guts to face you own feelings!'' her face was read as she almost screamed the last part.

''Wh-.. what the hell are you talking about?'' He couldn't help the note of panic in his voice.

''I'm talking about the fact that your're head over heels for him but you won't even admit it to yourself! I just can't understand why in the world is it that hard for you to say you're in love with him?! Are you scared people won't accept you if you like a guy? Or are you trying to make yourself not like him because you think it's wrong? Whatever it is, just get your shit together and face it, because you can't just do things like that to yourself, Sebastian, you just can't! It isn't fair to yourself.''

Sebastian stood there frozen, trying to blink the shock away, as the walls he thought he build around his feelings crumbled at his feet. 

''You have no idea what you're saying, Iris." He struggled hard to keep his voice steady, keeping his jaw clenched. "Please... let's just go home…'' He felt so done with everything, that his voice broke at the end. He couldn't even bring himself to watch her in the eyes. ''I'll wait for you downstairs.'' He added barely mustering the strength to say it without losing his grip in the situation right there.

Iris just looked at him for a few moments, taking it all in, her face a mix of emotions Sebastian couldn't discern. He didn't even try, to be completely honest. He just wanted out of there, away from all of this. That's why when Iris whispered ''Fine…'' in a small voice, he basically ran out of the hotel room, without saying a word to Chris.

He blessed the heavens when the elevator's doors opened and it was empty. He couldn't handle another disapproving look right now. He looked around, searching for something to hold on to, because he felt like his legs wouldn't sustain him any longer. 

Instead of that he found that all the walls surrounding him were actually mirrors, reflecting a horrible looking self. He was paler than Edward Freaking Cullen and for a moment he thought he saw his skin sparkling. But not really, that was just sweat gleaming under the cold light of the elevator. And contrasting with that sickly paleness there were deep dark circles fringing his eyes. If there were a little girl next to him right then she'd be asking him why he looks like a panda. And her mother would drag her away, telling her that that's what happens to people who do drugs.

And frankly that's how he looked. Like a drug addict. He tried telling himself that it was just a hangover. But was it? He didn't even know what to believe anymore. The hollow in his chest didn't feel like a hollow anymore, but more like a claw, tearing his insides apart every time he tried to move. He was starting to lose the ability to tell whether it was physical pain or it was all in his head.

There was a little ding, letting him know that the doors are going to open soon, so he took a deep breath, doing his best to calm himself down. He tried to detach himself, pulling his jacket's hoodie over his head and keeping his eyes in the ground so he wouldn't be recognized. 

He got out of the hotel, struggling to keep his legs under control though they were shaking. He hoped nobody noticed him, as he sat down on the edge of the sidewalk, wondering what the hell was he going to do.

Iris knew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * ''Oh doamne, nu-i adevarat…'' = ''Oh god, this isn't true''  
> Okay, guys, hope you liked it :)


	10. Will you just consider it?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stubborn little puppy. That's pretty much it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay. Fist of all, i know i'm late as hell with this one, and i could make an 10 pages essay on the reasons why i'm this late, but i'll stick to saying that finals suck, love sucks, and hospitals suck. I am terribly sorry, if it makes it any better. Though i doubt it. And i hope i still have my constant supporters (ARG, i'm looking a you. Ah well, virtually, at least).  
> And to make up for all the lost time, i'll post 2 chapters tonight (a little bit shorter than usually, please don't hate me) :)  
> Also, there will probably be just one more chapter after this one, maybe 2, i'm not sure yet :)

Iris's POV

Somewhere, in the back of her mind, Iris knows that what Sebby did wasn't right. But as said before, that part of her mind was very, very far back. And that's mostly because the rest of it was too busy mauling over all the things she said that could have made Sebastian lock himself in his room and stay there for the rest of the day. Literally. He didn't even come out to pee. 

And now it was almost midnight and she was laying in her bed staring at the ceiling. She ruled out the possibility of sleeping a couple of hours ago, so now she was just… you can't even call it thinking. Just listening to the sound of nothing, pounding in her ears.

Mackie called her earlier, to see if she and Seb were okay. And she lied saying that everything was fine, and that Sebastian wasn't taking his calls because he was sleeping his hangover off. Which she didn't know for sure if it was true or not. She had no idea what he was doing in there. He could have been passed out on the floor, for all she knew, but she tried to not think about those kind of possibilities.

It was getting harder and harder not to, though. She almost got up to check up on him, when she heard his bedroom door opening, its normal squeak spreading a wave of relief over Iris.

''Thank God…'' she muttered, trying to figure out what her cousin was doing by the sound of his footsteps. First he went to the bathroom, then the kitchen, and for some stupid reason, Iris was afraid to even breathe out, fearing she might spook him. As if he could hear her breathing. 

Iris wanted to go to him. To ask him what was wrong, and what was it that she said to upset him. To apologize a thousand times and to know that he was going to be okay. But she found that she couldn't move. 

That is at least until she heard his door closing again. It made her realize she couldn't take another day like this, so she got up, trying to steady her shaking legs and to get a grip on her erratic pulse.

His door was unsurprisingly closed, but she was pretty sure it wasn't locked anymore. Not that it made any difference to her. She knocked softly, not really expecting any answer, then she turned her back to the door, leaning on it and letting herself down on the floor.

''Sebastian?...'' No answer. But then again, she wasn't expecting one, so she continued. ''I know you don't want to see me, but at least listen to me, okay?'' She took a deep breath, thinking about what she was going to say. ''Maybe I was wrong, and you don't like Chris… that way. And if I was, I am terribly sorry. I know it's not right to poke around things like that, especially now that you are… umm, worldwide recognized. I just… and I know this is not an excuse, but I just hate to see you suffer like that. So you understand that? I just want you to be happy, because you deserve it, Sebby. You deserve so much better than a girl who has her personality buried under 10 feet of make up…You deserve a nice person, who's as genuine as you are and who will love you for who you are, not for the characters you play. '' She paused, considering if she should go on with what she has in mind or just go back to bed. But what the hell, she might as well get it all out. ''And if I was right… and Chris is that person… Sebby, it's okay. It's great actually! And if someone can't see that, then they're blind, and not worthy of you.''

Another pause, to catch her breath, but before she could think of anything else to say the door she was leaning against opened a little bit, taking her by surprise. 

Sebby was looking pretty bad, with deep dark circles under his watery eyes and his hair was messy (and no, not in the cute way. In the holy-crap-did-you-fight-a-bear way). Iris also noticed he was sitting on the floor, when he opened the door a little bit more. But he didn't say anything. Instead, he pulled her into a hug, holding onto her for dear life. 

She was caught off guard at first, but then melted into the hug, and a few moments later she was Seb's only support, as he started sobbing quietly. She tightened her grip on him, stroking his back and telling him it was okay.

''I'm sorry...'' he whispered later, when he calmed down a little bit.

''Don't be. I'm the one who should apologize. It was none of my business.''

''Don't say that… You were right, you know?''

Iris stopped breathing for a moment. ''You mean you… you like him?''

''Nope. I wish. I'm already head over heels for him…'' Sebby said, looking sadder than ever. She couldn't stand that. So she cupped his face, making him look her in the eyes.

''Listen to me. That is great. Being in love is never, and I mean NEVER, a bad thing. It's wonderful, no matter who you're in love with. Does it hurt like hell? Yes, totally. Does that matter? Absolutely no, because no matter how much it makes you suffer, if you fight for it it's worth it. That's what I learned from my parents. Or more like from my parents 'mistakes, whatever. That's not the point. The point is that you can't give up, okay?''

He looked at her, and for a moment she thought he was going to cry again, but he didn't. Instead, he just pulled her into a hug, holding her this time, tighter than she was ever hold. 

''Has anyone ever told you that you're way too mature for your age?'' he said between clenched teeth and Iris chuckled. 

''A few times. Are you better now?''

''Yes, thank you… Seriously, I don't know what I would've done if you weren't here. I'm sorry for getting wasted like that and leaving you there.''

''It's okay. All for the better, anyway. I got to talk more to Chris.'' 

Sebby started laughing at first. ''That was your plan all along, huh? To get to know him better.'' But then he probably noticed her expression, and all the blood just drained form his face. ''What did you exactly talk about? '' His tone was the definition of panic, not to mention his featured mashed up between fear and disbelief. 

''Don't worry, it's good, I think. We just talked about a lot of things, and I think there's a good chance that he thinks about you as more than a friend too…'' Iris couldn't help the smile spreading over her face. But she didn't understand why he wasn't smiling too. Instead, his brow furrowed and the sadness flooded his eyes again.

''Iris… It's one thing to accept my feelings to you and to myself and a whole different thing to start believing in false hopes, alright? There's no chance in the whole world for Chris Straight-As-A-Ruler Evans to like a guy.''

''I wouldn't bet my money on that, cuz. You can't even see the way he looks at you, right?''

''What do you mean, there's no special _way __he looks at me.''_

''Not that you can see. Because he only uses it when you don't look. I honestly think he's in the same situation as you are.''

''Iris, stop… I heard him talk on the phone with some girl. He said he loved her…'' 

''How can you be sure it wasn't his mom on the phone? We all know he's super close to her. Look, Sebby, I'm not saying you should go up to him a just kiss him, alright? What I'm saying is that you have to at least **consider** the possibility that he **might** actually like you back.''

''I.. I-I I can't afford that… I can't consider that without hoping. And if I start hoping, it's going to hurt a hell of a lot more when it's over…''

''That's just one of the risks. But let's put it this way. Is the hell you're putting yourself through right now really worse than the pain you would suffer if he didn't feel the same? And not to mention the situation where he might be in love with you too. It's up to you to decide if all this is worth it or not.''

Sebastian closed his eyes, and Iris could basically feel him mauling over every way this could possibly go wrong. She didn't think there was anything else she could do for him right now, but let him think it through. So she got up as swiftly as she could, nudging Sebby towards his bed.

''Try to get some sleep, too. I love you.'' She said, helping him pull the covers over himself. Before she left, he pulled her down and kissed her forehead. ''I love you, too.'' he whispered, and Iris didn't think she had ever heard a voice as vulnerable as his was in that moment.

She never hoped so much for someone to realize something so obvious to anybody who looked a little harder…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Waaaaaait for it....


	11. One.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this is it. It's about to go down.

Sebastian's POV

Last night was… interesting. To say the least.

Sebastian woke up at eleven am, to the smell of bacon and toast, wishing nothing more than to go back and relive his dream. A dream where there actually was a chance that for Chris to-…

Wait a minute.

What if there was? What if Iris was right all along, and he actually does have some feelings for Sebastian. If there was even the slightest chance, Sebastian was going to throw it off the window if he didn't say anything. And he was under no circumstances going to miss any opportunity, not when it came to Chris.

Was he really going to do this? _Yes, you are._

He jumped out of the bed faster than he thought was possible, tripping over every obstacle in the way, until finally reaching his phone. 

13 missed calls and 17 messages. God damn. There was no time for that! He dialed Mackie from memory only, and was really surprised when he got the number right.

''Hey, Mackie- … yeah, yeah, I saw you called me 6 times- … yes, your texts too, but- … no-… no Mackie, for god's sake, I am not high!... – Yes, I am fine, never been better, but I need you to- … No, Mackie, listen to me!- … Yes I do realize that, but I need you to fucking listen to me for a second, will ya' ?-… Thank you! I need you to tell me how long Chris is going to be in New York. - … He told you when he's leaving, right?- …. No, I don't care, just please tell me!- … Today? He's leaving today?... Oh fuck- … Do you by any chance know when is his flight taking off?-… 1 pm? God damn! All right Mackie, I gotta go- … Yes, I am about to do something very reckless-…. No, I need to do it alone, but thanks for the offer-… But wait, I would appreciate it if you could come pick Iris up and just, I don't know, go for an ice cream or something. Please? -… Alright, you're the best. Thank you Mackie!''

Okay, he was actually doing this, and he was totally not freaking out. Nope. Not at all.

''Seb, are you okay there?'' Iris called out from the kitchen.

Two things Sebastian never expected to experience in his life:

1\. To be in love with one of his friends. Male friends.  
2\. To take love advices from his 15 year old cousin.

I regret nothing. He thought as he put on the first clean t-shirt he could find.

''I'm great! Hey, Iris, do you mind if I make a little trip to the airport?''

Two seconds later, Iris busted through the door, flying across the room and jumping, literally jumping, on him. ''You're going to do it, aren't you?! You're going to tell him!''  
''I will, if I get to the airport in time. Are you okay with spending your day with Mackie?'' he asked, trying his best to tie his shoes like a normal person.

''Yeah, totally! I will probably never be happier to see Mackie.'' Sebastian couldn't help his laughing. There were so many feelings bottled up in him that he was afraid not to burst with emotion. He had no idea what he was going to do or say, but he needed to do something. Anything was better than torturing himself like he did.

It was 12 pm when he got in the car, only to realize that he forgot his phone. _Oh screw that!_ He turned the car on, breaking around 4 traffic laws by the time he got to the airport. It was already 12: 45, but still, he sprinted his way through all the people and the luggage, hoping with all his heart that Chris was still there.

But he wasn't.

He did got there in time. Not in time to stop Chris, but in time to see his plane taking off and disappearing between the clouds. 

He took a risk, and he lost. He put all his hope into that one moment, and he lost it. He felt numb again…

And even after all, as he was walking back to his car, he still hoped deep inside, that Chris was going to be there, on one of the benches, or leaning against a car.

And once again, he wasn't.

Sebastian didn't feel like going back to the penthouse, to see Iris's face as he tells her that it's all over, that they lost. That he lost…

But he was afraid of what he might do if he let himself go into a bar again. No, he couldn't. The hurt he caused that night, to himself and to the ones he loved, was too raw in his memory. So he had nothing else to do, than go home to lick his wounds.

He pulled up in the parking lot, forcing himself to get out of the car and into the elevator. But before he entered the house, he took a deep breath, to try and calm himself down, to try to find something to say.

But the door opened before he could do any of that. A surprised Iris stopped in front of him, all smiles and happiness.

''Sebastian! Finally! I was getting a little worried, you know? You forgot your phone, by the way…''

''Iris, I- …''

''You have a visitor. You'd know that if you'd take care to not forget your phone at home.''

''What visitor? Iris what in the world are you talking about, I'm so not in the mood for- …''

And then Iris moved out of his line of sight, revealing no other than Chris, standing on their couch, drinking tee. Talk about being speechless, huh.

''I- I … I don't understand…'' 

''You will. But I got to go now, Mackie's waiting downstairs. We're going for ice cream.'' She said, winking at him, and kissing him on the cheek, then running towards the elevator.

''Hi Basha…'' Chris said once Iris was out of earshot. Sebastian still couldn't do much beside get inside and close the door after him, let alone say something. But he had to. It was now or never.

''I went after you. At the airport. But you weren't there. Because you were here. Why were you here, and not in the plane?'' Somewhere in the back of his mind he was aware that his sentences were about as good as any first grader's but somehow that didn't matter. He was trying to make sense of all of this.

''I umm… I was supposed to be on the plane. But umm… I just couldn't leave without…''

''Without what…'' Sebastian couldn't help himself from slowly walking towards the couch, and leaning against it until he was face to face with Chris, right beside him. So close…

''Without coming to see you… I want to tell you something. I need to tell you something actually…'' He didn't realize Chris was leaning forward until he could feel his breath on his cheek. Chris could probably feel his breath too, if he was still breathing. He wasn't sure anymore.

''I want to hear it… I need it…'' So Chris took it upon himself to teach Sebastian how to breathe properly again. And when they lips met, they found that they both had to learn a lot from each other. A whole new world was revealed to them through that one kiss, and they couldn't get enough of it.

Seconds, minutes, hours later they broke apart, only a little, just so they could speak. But they couldn't at first, they just sat there, their foreheads touching, reminding them that this is not just another dream. An eternity later, when they finally found the words they've been thinking about for a long time before this moment, they seemed meaningless. Neither of them needed any words to feel what the other felt. They felt the same, on every possible level.

They were one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed both chapters :)


	12. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fluff. Fluff everywhere!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I almost gave up on this story, honestly. School and family and friends and a bunch of projects tend to take up quite a lot of time. But today when i got home and opened my laptop, i remembered the promise i made, not to let this thing unfinished, and i'm going to stick to my word. And i couldn't end it in just one chapter, because i kept getting ideas, so there's one more chapter coming :)

Chris's POV

Chris loved polenta. That god sent, golden deliciousness made his nostrils flare and his heart beat faster every single time it was even casually mentioned. But then, everything related to Sebastian kinda had that effect on him, so he guessed he shouldn't be that surprised.

But he was, in fact, very surprised. And not just because of the heavenly meal Sebastian and Iris were cooking as he was sitting on the counter watching them. Everything about these two surprised him, from how well they click together to how easily they've accepted him in their day-to-day lives. Ever since Day Zero, Chris has been as happy as he ever was. _And yes, he calls the day he kissed Sebastian Day Zero, because that's the day he started living again, even though he never stopped_. He knew he was a corny little shit, but catching Sebastian looking at him _like that_ with those eyes made him not give a damn. He wanted to be corny. He wanted to be everything for Basha. **His Basha.**

''Hey, Chris, how do you want yours?'' Iris asked, taking three plates out of the cabinet over his head.

''Like my man.'' He replied in a dreamy voice, doing his best cupcake pose.

''I don't know how I'm going to make a plate of polenta doubt itself so much, but one can only try.'' She said jokingly, but with serious eyes. Chris felt his heart sink for a moment. He knew about Sebastian's self-confidence issues, and he has been working on it for a while. They both have. He struggled to swallow the feeling and put on a smile.

''Hey, I heard that!'' Sebastian said, poking Iris in the ribs with a hand and holding his plate with the other. Then, he set down the plate and touched his nose to Chris's, like a puppy would. It was a thing he often did, touching his nose to Chris's face, or shoulder, or neck and nudging lightly. It was weird as hell but Chris loved every single of it.

''I actually meant cheesy and with a pinch of salt and pepper.'' He added, filling his lungs with Sebastian's scent. That's a thing he often did. But come on, who could blame him, Basha smelled incredibly good, even without any cologne. It was enough to drive him crazy sometimes.

''Nice save there.'' Iris noted laughing and Chris closed his eyes, enjoying the moment. He wanted this feeling to last forever, to bottle it up and stock it in the basement of his house and use it whenever he felt like it. All of this? It was _perfect._ Iris's laugh, and Sebastian's skin on his own, the polenta and just… _everything._

''Do you guys want me to eat in my room or something?'' she continued, looking at them with amused eyes. She looked a lot like her cousin when she got that look.

''No!'' he replied way too quickly, remembering that in a couple of days she will be gone, back in Romania. Summer was over and school started soon. They had to deal with that sooner or later. 

Sebastian took a step back, to look in his eyes, and Chris was sure he could read into his soul. His eyes said more than words ever could. The pain of not having Iris around shone the same in their eyes, as a heavy silence settled around them. Basha squeezed his shoulder, then sat down beside him, facing his cousin. They listen to each other eat, for a while, but none of them had much of an appetite anymore.

''Are you gonna come visit? ...'' Iris asked, her voice small and Chris was afraid he was fighting back tears. He couldn't handle tears right now, without spilling his own right now. Sebastian stopped abruptly, looking dead serious straight into her eyes.

''On every chance I get. I promise you.'' He said and Iris relaxed a little bit. 

''And I'm coming with him.'' Chris added determined. ''If that's what you want, I mean… I don't want to intrude or anything, I just- '' he continued, much less sure of himself. But Iris just got up, running to him and hugged him tightly, pulling Sebastian after her in the process.

It was the least awkward three people hug Chris has ever had. There was too much emotion for it to be awkward at all. Even when he saw the tears on Iris's face, he just hold on tighter, squeezing his eyes shut. In moments like this they felt like family. Sometimes, late at night when he would stay over, hearing Basha snore adorably next to him, he would think about all of this. He liked the way the words ''Sebastian'' and ''family'' fitted together, like they were supposed to. He knew it was crazy, it had been only a month since Day Zero, but he couldn't help it. It all felt so natural, as if it had been like this forever. Not to mention that every time he looked at Iris brought out the part of him that longed for children. Being around her made him feel protective and responsible, which should've scared the crap out of him. And it did, but in a completely different way, that left room for questions like ''What if I'm not good enough to have a kid?''. And _what the actual fuck_ , he should **NOT** have thoughts like this after only a month! These two were changing him, and the worst part is that he adored it.

''Also, I'll talk to your mom so you can spend every holiday here.'' Sebastian said matter-of-factly when they broke off the hug.

''Ha, as if she'd ever agree to that.''. Iris wiped her cheeks and sat down at the counter again, playing with her food. She looked better. Still sad, but the worry hidden in the small creases on her forehead was gone. Chris felt like hugging her again when he realized that she had been worried she wouldn't see them again. They would never let that happen, of course. Chris will see to that himself.

After they ate, Iris said she was going to get some rest and then start packing. She had a plane on Friday night, and it was Wednesday afternoon, so they still had two almost full days together, if she finished packing early. Chris didn't even think of going home before that. It was like a silent agreement that he would stay until she left.

''Do you need any help?'' Sebastian asked and Iris smiled, her eyes crinkling at the edges.

''No, thanks. I'm good. See ya' later.'' She replied, winking and closing the door to her room after her. She always did this when she ''was giving them their space'', as she called it.

''Wanna watch a movie?'' Chris asked, once they were both settled on the couch, his hands spread out on the back cushion.

''Not really.'' Sebastian said thoughtfully, looking kind of embarrassed. '' Would it be creepy if I said I just want to watch you?''. Chris didn't know how to react at first, so he simply started laughing. But that made Basha look away, so he immediately stopped.

''It would be kind of creepy, but only if I wouldn't want the exactly same thing.'' He confessed, titling his head towards him. But he still avoided his eyes. ''Hey… look at me, please.''. Sebastian hesitated for a second, then raised his head, to meet his gaze. ''I've waited a very long time to be allowed to look at you for more than two seconds, alright? We both have. Almost too long.'' He scooted closer to him, leaning in. ''You have no idea, do you? ...'' Chris let out, as their foreheads touched.

''No idea about what?'' Basha asked, in that voice he got when they were very close to each other. Faint, like a whisper, but still enough to make Chris's whole body shudder.

''About how I stay up all night thinking I'm in way to deep, and that soon you'll see that. And it'll scare you away…'' He had no idea why he was telling him all this. Wasn't it the point not to let him know exactly how much he liked him? His heart-beat went crazy again, but this time he felt his hands and feet get cold, and dread pooling in his stomach.

Sebastian pulled away a little bit, and Chris's heart skipped a beat. But his hand came up to his face, his fingers combing through his hair. Chris closed his eyes, struggling to keep his emotions inside. 

''Sometimes I- '' he stopped, and Chris opened his eyes, leaning into Sebastian's touch. ''Sometimes I have to touch you, just to prove myself that I'm not dreaming.'' He said, dead-serious. ''I literally get panicked because I think this isn't real. Do you really think you're the one who's in too deep?''

''Then I guess we're both in too deep.'' Chris concluded, touching their heads again.

''What if that's what'll break us apart? What if what we have burns up too quickly?'' His voice was tinged with panic, and his hand stared trembling. Chris put his own hand over his, pulling him closer with the other.

''It won't. I won't let it happen. We won't let it happen.''

''Promise?''

''I promise.'' Chris said, closing in the space between them. It always amazed him how Sebastian's lips knew exactly what to do to be in sync with his own. It was like they could communicate, making every kiss seem perfect. Chris has kissed _a lot_ of good kissers. But none made him feel like that. With other persons, he felt like it was about showing how good he is, what he can do. But not with Basha. With him, it was just about the two of them being as close as humanly possible.

Chris heard Sebastian's phone ring, somewhere in the distance, but he was too caught up to care. And so seemed he. It stopped after a while, only for Chris's phone to start ringing this time. Turns out it's a lot harder to ignore it when it's right in your pocket. He pulled away from Seb, taking it out and looking at the display.

**Mackie…**

''What?!''

''Two questions. Are you naked right now?''

''Hey buddy, I'm flattered, but no thanks. I'm kinda off the market, you know.'' Chris mocked, rolling his eyes. Mackie was a good friend, but not when he's stopping you from going at it.

''Evans, it is _crucial_ that I find out whether you're wearing your clothes right now or not.'' Chris looked down at the two-sized-too-small-t-shirt he was wearing. Sebastian's t-shirt.

''Well, I'm not naked…'' he replied, and Sebastian raised his eyebrow.

''Oh good, so I'm not interrupting anything too important. Second question: is Iris around?''

''As a matter of fact, you are interrupting something and you have Iris's number so we can continue this wonderful chat later- '' 

''Focus, Evans! You can get laid later. Is she there or not?'' Mackie snapped and Chris sighed in defeat.

''No, she's not. She's in her room, packing.''

''Perfect! Put me on speaker.'' He didn't even question it this time.

''You're on speaker.''

''Hello, Mr. I-can't-answer-my-phone-cause-I'm-sticking-my-tongue-down-my-boyfriend's-throat! I hope you're having a nice afternoon.'' Mackie said and Sebastian rolled his eyes, leaning back on the couch.

''I _was_ , until two minutes ago.''

''Oh, what a shame. Please, let me make it up to you.'' 

Chris and Sebastian shared a look and nodded at the same time.

''You may proceed.'' Chris said, with a formal tone.

''Thank you, good sir. What are you guys doing tomorrow evening?''

''Throwing darts at your picture…?'' Sebastian suggested, and Mackie chuckled.

''Why, thank you, I'm flattered. But I've got a better offer.''

''Please, do tell us.'' Chris invited.

''So, I'm throwing a party and- ''

''Oh, hell no, no way – '' Chris started and Sebastian accompanied him.

''Gracious god, not again!''

''Hey, hey, people! Let the man finish before you start protesting, will ya'?''

''Fine.''

''Good. So, as I was saying, I'm throwing a party… but not that kind of party, you pigs. A goodbye party for Iris. Have a little trust!''

''That's- … Actually a good idea, Mackie. Are you sure you're the one who came up with it?'' Sebastian asked smirking.

''Ha-ha, very funny. Yes, of course I was the one who came up with it.'' Mackie declared proud. ''Though Dianne did inspire me, a little bit, I'll give you that.'' He added shortly after, with half a mouth.

''Knew it!'' Chris said, doing his little Ka-Ching move.

''Okay, and where is this party you're throwing going to take place, Mackie?'' 

''I'm glad you asked, my dear Sebastian! At your house, of course.'' He sounded way too pleased with himself. Chris could picture his exact expression.

''Oh, cool. Well thanks for the heads-up, man!'' 

''Anytime! So, I need you to take her out tomorrow, until Evans and I prep the house. I told the others to come at 6 pm, so we've got to be ready by then.''

''Oh, you've already talked to the others. How about that!'' Sebastian praised mockingly.

''Well, you know me, man! I get shit done.'' Mackie said, full of modesty, as always. ''Also… I thought it would be a great opportunity for you guys to… you know… tell the others.'' 

It's not that they were keeping their relationship a secret, but… okay, they were keeping their relationship a secret. They just wanted to be sure, before they come out to the whole world. They were in no way ashamed, but they knew it was going to be massive. So they agreed to wait. But they weren't talking about the whole world here. They were talking about their friends. It seemed only fair that they get to find out first, right?

''I also invited your mom.'' Mackie added, when the silence stretched for too long. Chris took Seb's hand in his own, squeezing it lightly. His mom already knew, because it was pretty much impossible to keep that kind of thing from her, but Sebastian's mom had no clue. And frankly? It didn't seem right to tell her like that, with a bunch of other people around. It should be a lot more intimate. And Chris knew exactly what to do.

''Thanks, Mackie.'' Sebastian said, honest. ''I really appreciate it.

''No probs, dude.''

''Wait, I've got a better idea!''

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed it :) please let me know what you think of it


	13. Is This The Real Life, Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weddings are harder than they seem.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so i finally decided i needed to give this story an ending, so i started writing on it again. And, surprisingly, this came out.  
> It's set two years after where the last chapter ends. Hope you guys like it :)

Seb's POV

‘’I _may ___have dropped the cake.’’ Mackie said and either Sebastian’s phone speakers were damaged, or his friend’s voice was very small.

‘’You did what?!’’ Seb half-yelled back, letting his dry mouth sag for a couple of seconds. ‘’Tell me you are not talking about my wedding cake, I beg of you.’’ 

‘’No can do, I’m afraid. I like to believe that our friendship has a strong base of honesty, you know. So lying to you now would be like a direct attack on the three years of bilateral positive interpersonal interaction we’ve had so far.’’ 

‘’Mackie! You literally had one job!’’ Sebastian whined, going his free hand over his face again and again. ‘’I even sent you step-by-step instructions. Go to the bakery, take the cake, go to the lake house, put it in the fridge. How could you possibly get that wrong?’’ 

‘’We should try with drawing, next time. And everything was perfect until step four, I swear! I had everything under control. I even set the temperature in the car lower so the thing wouldn’t melt off – Which reminds me, if I get a cold, it’s totally your fault.’’ Mackie added matter-of-factly. ‘’I get to the lake house, park the car, get off, get the cake out too. So far so good, right? Then Falcon comes to greet me! And he’s wiggling that bushy tail of his – you know I love his bushy tail, Seb, you know that! But at this point I’m still aware I have to complete my mission first. So I go for the back door, holding the cake like my own flesh and blood. I don’t even look at the poor dude, who’s now following me like a lost puppy. I’m three feet from the door, when he starts crying and I couldn’t help it, Seb, I couldn’t! He was giving me the puppy eyes, I HAD to pet him.’’ 

Sebastian let out a long, exasperated sigh, letting himself drop on the red couch in his old apartment. He needed a cup of coffee. And a new wedding cake, apparently. 

‘’So, ‘’ Mackie went on ‘’ I skillfully balance the cake on a single hand and bend down a little to scratch him behind his eats, I know he loves when I do that. But then he laid back, showing me his tummy and I was too far gone, the temptation was too strong, Sebastian, too strong! I crouched, and well the cake just kind of… fell.’’ He ended dramatically, seeming to consider if he’d said enough. ‘’On Falcon.’’ 

‘’WHAT?!’’ Seb jumped off the couch instinctively, knocking his mother’s flower vase off of the coffee table in the process. The white porcelain shattered, in a pool of water and yellow lilies. He swore under his breath, and pinched the bridge of his nose so hard he saw colors behind his eyelids. ‘’Let me get this straight: You dropped my wedding cake. Two days before my wedding. On my dog.’’ 

‘’Technically, I dropped your _and ___Evans’s wedding cake, on your _and ___Evans’s dog. Don’t be so selfish, buddy, it’s not good for your upcoming marriage.’’

Sebastian switched to holding his phone between his shoulder and ear, as he kneeled down to clean up the mess he’d made. He would have been terrified by the fact he broke his mother’s favorite vase, but seeing as he officially entered the second wedding crisis of today, he saw himself having to push that thought to the back of his mind for the moment. ‘’Is Woof okay?’’ 

‘’I see you still refuse to acknowledge that his one true name is Falcon. It’s a shame really, you’ll just get his canine little mind confused. Who names their dog Woofgang Amadeus anyway? It’s such a lame name. At least Evans’s choice is more…badass. Not as badass as Falcon, of course, but still.’’ His friend blabbered idly. ‘’And he’s okay. The dog I mean, not your better half. I told Jackie to give him a bath when she finished decorating the porch. I hope she understood.’’ 

‘’Okay, I’m heading there now anyway. Remind me not to ask for your help ever again, by the way.’’ He grabbed his car keys from the kitchen counter, considering whether he’d need a jacket or not. He opted for the latter. It was only September after all. 

‘’But you know you never have to ask for my help. My help is like a dental. Comes with the friendship.’’ Mackie said, his tone light again. ‘’And don’t worry about the cake, I’ll deal with that, you have enough on your plate anyway.’’ 

Dread filled his stomach as thoughts of Mackie, with his waist fastened by an apron, maniacally dropping eggs along with the shells into a huge bowl, in the ruins of a flour covered kitchen, flooded his head. ‘’My plate is not that full! Honestly. More like, the fancy, expensive restaurants type of full plate. I can totally figure out the cake thing, while I plan the rest of the wedding! Haha.’’ He knew he talked way to fast to be the least credible, but hoped Mackie would see it as a Get out of Jail card and just drop it. He was waiting for the elevator now, mindlessly tapping his fingers on his temple. 

‘’Don’t even start, I won’t have it. It’s my mess, and let there not be said Anthony Mackie does not clean up after himself!’’ 

‘’Except when you have my maid do it for you, instead. Can I say it then?’’ 

‘’Maybe then, yes, it’s the exception that enforces the rule. But I don’t even want you to think about the cake. By tomorrow night you’ll have the most fabulous, amazing, glittery cake that mankind has ever encountered, or you shall not call me by my name, but instead – ‘’ he stopped, and Seb felt a smile spread over his face through the phone. ‘’ Woofgang Amadeus.’’ >

Another long, exasperated sigh. ‘’I can’t make you change your mind, can I?’’ 

‘’Nope.’’ 

‘’Fine, then. You can take care of the cake. But no glitter!’’ 

‘’Oh come on! I had this super cool idea that – ‘’ 

‘’No. Glitter.’’ 

‘’You’re such a boring person, you know that?’’ Sebastian grinned at his friend’s frustration, as he turned up the engine to his car. ‘’And you know who’s _not ___a boring person? Iris. When does her flight land? I need her to help me temper my creativity, since I can see it’s not that appreciated.’’

He felt a pang in his chest, as he was reminded of the first wedding crisis of the day. ‘’I don’t know. Hopefully before the wedding.’’ He mumbled. 

‘’What do you mean, I thought you were supposed to pick her up from the airport tonight.’ 

‘’She called this morning. There’s some kind of freaky storm in Romania right now, and all flights have been postponed till it ends.’’ He stopped himself from mentioning she might not be there at all, part because he didn’t want to risk upsetting Mackie before he _completed his mission ___, and part because he wasn’t sure he could say it out loud. He felt that if he’d hear himself say it, the chances of it happening could somehow increase tenfold.

'’Shit, man, that sucks. I’ll have to call in my backup.’’ 

‘’I don’t even want to begin thinking of who that might be.’’ 

‘’No, you don’t. See ya tomorrow, bye.’’ And with that he hung up, leaving Sebastian to drown in his own head. Irrational worries and stupid scenarios swarmed in his head making it feel like a hyperactive hive of bees. Turning up the music didn’t help either. He had one of Chris’s playlists on repeat since their last trip together, a few weeks ago, when his _soon-to-be husband ___wanted to look around for possible honeymoon locations. The words tingled his tongue without even being said, making his heart swell with a varied range of emotions, from incomprehensible happiness to a sweet fear of unknown and that grand feeling you get when something big is about to happen. He was going to marry. And not just anyone, but the guy of his dreams. Two days from now he could legally wake up to the face he’d swooned over for the past five years. A part of him wasn’t yet aware of the fact that it was real. It was happening. _He was getting married. ___

He laid back in the driver’s, convincing himself to focus on the road instead, before he caused himself an anxiety attack. Feeling the leather of the wheel calmed him to some extent, giving him the impression of control. To his benefit, the traffic was relatively easy compared to the struggle he normally had to in order to get to the lake house he and Chris had bought about a year ago. They had barely decided to move in together in his central penthouse, when Sebastian came across a paper ad promoting a big, old lake house on the outskirts of New York. It was fairly damaged by time and lack of use, but he didn’t care, he’d already fallen in love with the propriety just from the pictures. He had Chris come see it with him the second day and they’d both agreed that it was in fact just what they needed to start a new life together. 

After that they’d spent almost every weekend of the next six months working on their new love nest, consolidating, rebuilding, and painting everything until they were happy with the results. Then, when they’d finally finished, Mackie offered to organize a housewarming party, idea which after many arguments, Sebastian agreed to in the end. For the first time though, he didn’t regret having attended one of Mackie’s party. His friend flew Iris over as a surprise, along a big part of his and Chris’s family and friends. Seb was pretty confused by such a big celebration, until Chris got on one knee and he finally understood why everyone seemed to have a secret lately. 

He pulled up into the driveway, a single line, cobble paved road, snaking up a mild hill. It was getting late, the sun slowly hiding behind the elms surrounding the lot, as he got out of the car. For a second, the view he got standing in the garage doorway captured his undivided attention: the stone veneered façade of the house reflecting into the small lake in front, the newly set up lights on the porch gleaming in the clear water. Even the small deck going a little bit into the lake had been decorated with lampions flowing with warm, gentle light. 

A loud bang suddenly pulled him out of his dreamy state, and seconds later he was being tackled to the ground by a huge ball of white fur. He began laughing, as Woofgang Amadeus, their five months old Samoyed started licking his face clean. 

‘’Woof, haha, that’s enough boy. Down, Woof. Down!’’. He was just sitting up as Jaqueline, the maid they hired two weeks ago to help around the house, came up into the garage, panting. She was a French, corpulent woman in her fifties, with her gray streaked hair usually pulled up into a strict bun now sticking out in all directions. She bent a little, supporting her hand on her knees in an attempt to catch her breath. 

‘’Je démissione…’’ she whispered, slowly looking up with hateful eyes. Sebastian noted that she wasn’t paying any attention to him, but shooting icy glares at poor Woofgang. She straightened herself up, going her hand through her ruined hair without looking away from the dog. ‘’Ce chien est un vrai démon!’’ she spat, and finally looked up at Sebastian. ‘’JE DÉMISSIONE!’’ a voice way too big, considering her height, boomed in the garage, as she turned on her heels and stalked away without any other words. 

He remained still for a couple of moments, looking helplessly from the woman’s disappearing silhouette to his tail wiggling dog and back a few times. He started to notice the pieces of red cake icing stuck to his fur, and let out a single, small chuckle of desperation. _Wedding crisis no. 3…checked._

________ _ _ _ _ _ _

Sebastian woke up to the sound of laughter and small explosions coming from downstairs. He turned on his other side and smiled sleepily as Chris plastered his face with wet, sloppy kisses. A bit _too ___wet.  
He slowly opened his eyes, only to close them back a couple of seconds later as he prayed intensely for this not to be real. 

Firstly, he was laying on the floor outside the bathroom. His neck was a stiff as a rock, and he couldn’t exactly feel the right side of his body. 

Secondly, it wasn’t Chris giving him wet, sloppy morning kisses, but Woofgang, his fur still a little bit damp from last night’s bath. He was staring down at Sebastian, his head slightly titled and his muzzle hanging in what looked a lot like an amused grin. 

And last but not least, **there were people in the house, setting off small explosions and laughing about it! ******He leaped to his feet as quietly as he could, his mind simplifying itself to survival instincts and Romanian swears. Slowly, he took Woofgang by the collar and pushed him into the bathroom before entering himself and locking the door from the inside. Then he fanatically searched for his phone, meaning to call 911. Then, seeing as he had seven missed calls from Chris, he decided that hearing his fiancé’s voice for possibly the last time wouldn’t be such a bad idea. He called back, and Chris answered after the first ring.

‘’My grandma is missing!’’ 

‘’There are people downstairs laughing and setting off small explosions!’’ 

‘’WHAT?!’’ 

‘’How could your grandma possibly be missing?’’ 

‘’Sebastian! People in the house? EXPLOSIONS?!’’ 

‘’Small explosions. More like very loud booms every once in a – ‘ 

‘’ _Did you call the police?! ___’’ Chris’s voice was as high as Sebastian imagined could be possible.

‘’Not yet, I was going to after I called you.’’ 

‘’ _What ___are you thinking?! Scott’s dialing 911 as we speak, where exactly are you?’’

‘’Locked in our bathroom upstairs. I have Woof with me. And I’m going downstairs.’’ 

‘’YOU’RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE, SEBASTIAN, I’M SERIOUS. STAY WHERE YOU ARE TILL THEY GET THERE! I MEAN IT’’ 

‘’I can’t just wait for them in the bathroom, thinking in how many ways they could kill me! Besides, I have my training, I’m going to be fine. I’ll take the axe too.’’ 

‘’Sebastian, no! Your training consists of stunt moves, for god’s sake! And that’s just a decorative axe!’’ 

‘’Well, they don’t know that. I’ll call you in a little while. I love you.’’ ‘’SEBASTIAN DON’T YOU DARE – ‘’But he hung up before his new found heroism could fade out, and slowly opened the bathroom door, peeking outside. The hallway was clear. He slid outside, reaching for the decorative axe Chris had hung on the wall cause it was _manly as hell ___and started going down, one stair at the time. The sounds were clearly coming from the kitchen, now. He crossed the living room, ignoring the old lady who was knitting in one of their overstuffed armchairs. Deciding that the element of surprise was his best chance, he ran into the kitchen with a cry of battle, the axe high above his head. Inside, two men who crouching over something on the floor turned toward him, and they just stared at each other for what felt like an eternity. ‘’Well this is awkward…’’ Mackie said, without changing his position. Renner, on the other hand, stood up, his eyes bulking with surprise and excitement. ‘’Is that my toaster?’’ Sebastian asked in turn looking pointedly at the object on the floor, without bothering to lower the fake weapon.

Just then, something shot out of the small appliance with an absurdly loud noise and an incredible speed, hitting the ceiling hard before falling at his feet with the thump.

‘’Toast!’’ a small child’s voice beamed from where Mackie’s three year old daughter was strapped to his back in one of those weird baby carriers, with her hands clasped together as she licked her lips. Looking down, Sebastian saw she was right. Two burnt slices of toasted bread smoked on the kitchen floor in front of him. 

_This isn’t happening. I’m dreaming ___, he told himself over and over, lowering the axe and letting it drop on the ground. He tried pinching himself, again and again.

‘’Axe!’’ Renner’s two year old exclaimed from his own baby carrier, his expression mirroring his father’s. Sebastian pinched harder. 

‘’Look, daddy! The po-po is here!’’ Mackie’s oldest son said from the window. Sebastian’s heart started hammering in his chest again, like he’d just been caught red handed. Jeremy and Mackie both ran to the window, looking outside. 

‘’Oh shit, they got us!’’ Jeremy panicked and Mackie smacked him over the back of his head. 

‘’Chill, man, we ain’t done nothing wrong.’’ 

‘’Maybe we can pretend there’s no one home.’’ 

‘’Look, there’s Downey!’’ Mackie observed, and Sebastian heard everything like he was far, far away from here. Maybe a beach in Malta. A cocktail didn’t sound so bad right now. 

‘’He’s talking to them!’’ Jeremy pointed out. ‘’They’re leaving!’’ he yelled amazed, repeatedly pointing his finger at the glass. 

Minutes later, Robert Downey Jr. strolled into the kitchen, two grocery bags in each hand. ‘’Good morning, sleeping beauty. I hope you don’t mind I uploaded pictures of you drooling all over your dog on Facebook.’’ He said casually, and something in Sebastian just snapped.

‘’CAN SOMEBODY PLEASE EXPLAIN WHAT ON THE EVER GREEN EARTH IS GOING ON HERE?!’’ 

‘’Actually, science says it’s not so green anymore.’’ Downey corrected, biting out of a green apple. 

‘’I told you I’d deal with the cake. That’s what I’m doing.’’ Mackie took the bags from Downey, setting them down on the counter. His shoulders were slightly slumped in guilt. 

‘’Here? In my kitchen?’’ 

‘’Well, yes, since Dianne kicked me out of mine.’’

‘’Smart woman. And these two?’’ Sebastian asked, glaring from Jeremy to Downey. 

‘’They’re my sidekicks. Told you about how I’d need backup, too.’’ 

\He breathed in and out mechanically, trying to control himself. With a sigh, he nodded. ‘’What about these three?’’ He pointed at the kids.  
‘’They’re package deal.’’ Mackie explained with a shrug. 

‘’His wife kicked him out of the house for the day.’’ Jeremy detailed, ‘’And since mine is helping yours bring your in-laws here, I had to take Benedict with me.’’ 

‘’And the toaster?’’ He looked expectantly at Downey. 

Robert raised his hands to his chest, palms outward. ‘’Wasn’t me, man, I was out shopping!’’ 

‘’And we were getting bored waiting, so Renner may have tinkered a bit with it. Nothing drastic.’’ Mackie made a dismissive gesture with his hand. 

‘’I took a couple of engineering classes.’’ Jeremy added, with a dope smile. 

‘’Right, so you thought it was fit to upgrade my toaster to a bread shotgun. Nothing drastic!’’ Sebastian felt the need to sit down. He slumped against one of the dining chairs, leaning his head against his fists. ‘’Who’s the granny knitting in the living room?’’ he mumbled, feeling a strong headache coming through. He already missed Jaquelin. 

‘’Uh… That would be your grandmother in law.’’ 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll try posting the second part by the end of the weekend.


	14. Is This The Real Life? Part II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And at last, the final chapter.  
> I hope you guys like it :)

‘’Chris, I’m – ‘’ Sebastian was interrupted by a storm of undecipherable shouting on the other end. He leaned back on the porch railing waiting for his lover to let everything out. Now, after all the adrenaline vanished, he understood how irrational he’d been earlier. If this had been a real breaking and entering he could’ve died, confronting burglars with just a toy axe. 

When Chris finally stopped, Seb explained everything, without forgetting to include an apology every ten seconds. It seemed to work, as he wasn’t cut off by more than three other angry outbursts. ‘’Oh, and I found your grandma.’’ He added in a casual tone, his mouth stretching into an ‘’oops’’ expression as he waited for a reaction. 

‘’If you think you can make this whole thing go away with a stupid joke, Sebastian, I – ‘’

‘’No, it’s not a joke, I swear! Your grandma is knitting in our living room as we speak. I can Face Time you if you don’t believe me.’’ 

‘’What – but… how did she get there?’’ Chris asked, his irritation melting into bewilderment. 

‘’I have no idea. I didn’t get a chance to talk to her yet, but the guys say they found her knitting on the porch when they got here, so they let her in.’’ Sebastian wished he’d have taken his jacket with him yesterday. The morning chill made the fine hairs on his arms stand up. ‘’How long till you’ll be here?’’ The tiredness in his voice seemed to completely discard Chris’s earlier mood.

‘’A few hours, now that we know where granny is… I’m sorry you have to deal with all that on your own, Basha. I’ll be there as fast as I can, I promise.’’ Now his tone was longing and mellow, giving Sebastian butterflies even after all this time. ‘’And Scar says she’ll kill Renner when he gets there, if it helps. I bet she’ll call Denise and Susan too.’’

Sebastian smiled and took a deep breath, letting the cold air go up his nostrils and fill his chest. It relaxed him. ‘’Thank you. I’ll see you soon.’’

‘’I love you.’’ Chris almost whispered, and Seb’s legs threatened to give in. ‘’Oh, and Basha? Remember when I told you my family is full of radicals? Yeah well, granny can be a little… difficult at times. Just don’t take anything she says to the heart, okay?’’

He swallowed hard and nodded, before realizing Chris couldn’t see him. ‘’Okay.’’ He let out, his voice a little hoarse. ‘’You’ll hurry back, right?’’

‘’I swear.’’

They said their goodbyes and Seb hung up, looking inside the house through the glass wall from the porch. He could see the kerchief with floral motives around Grandma Evans’s back head. She was still sitting alone in the same armchair. It was time for Sebastian to introduce himself.

He entered the room quietly and stopped by the armchair next to hers, seating himself as gracefully as he could and smiling charmingly.

‘’I haven’t had the pleasure, I’m afraid.’’ He extended his hand toward the woman. Her face was ridged with deep wrinkles, but her blue eyes regarded him with an intimidating intensity. It downed upon him that Chris never mentioned her age. ‘’My name is Sebastian Stan, I’m your grandson’s – ‘’

‘’I know who you are.’’ There was a certain amount of accusation in her voice. ‘’I’m more keen on finding out who they are.’’ She continued on the same alleging tone, titling her head in the kitchen’s direction. Everything about her, but her appearance, screamed authority, from her rigid position to her sure, fast hand movements as she continued to work. 

Sebastian felt like hiding in a corner. ‘’They’re – ‘’ He cleared his throat to get rid of his shaky voice. _Pull yourself together, you’re The Winter Soldier, for god’s sake. ___‘’They’re my friends. They’ve come to help with the preparations.’’

‘’Well, it appears to me they’re doing extremely poorly. This place is truly a disaster.’’ She slowly put her knitting instruments aside, and Seb let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. Something about this woman holding sharp objects within five meters of a living form made him nervous. 

She rose to her feet, straightening her long velvet skirt in a dignified gesture. Standing up, the top of her head was on the same level with his sternum, and still having those eagle-like eyes on him took him back when he was a kid, breaking his mother’s favorite vase. Which coincidentally he did, just yesterday, but he saw no point in mentioning that to Grandma Evans right now. She moved toward the kitchen, clearly expecting Sebastian to follow. 

And if it were for him to be honest, the look on his idiotic friends’ faces as his future grandma in law burst into the room was totally worth it. Mackie froze, with the apron tied around his head and a mixer held up in each hand, his daughter still hanging from his back. Renner’s mouth hung in a perfect O, before he realized he had just been caught in the act of changing his boy’s diaper right on the floor. He then proceeded to cover his child with a napkin and smile up innocently. Downey moved the fastest quickly taking his feet off the table and throwing the magazine he was reading back over his head. It flew in a perfect arch, landing into little Tyler’s hands. Looking at it, his small eyes widened and an incredulous smile crept onto his face. 

‘’Boobies…’’ he said in awe, letting himself drop on the floor and flipping a few pages. 

Grandma Evans made a high, indignant sound and almost flew across the room, snatching the Playboy mag from the boy’s hand. Downey stood up, waving his hands in a soothing manner babbling something about how the kid surely must have meant rubies, _haha children these days. ___The woman shot him a look that could have shattered diamonds and he cut himself off abruptly. She turned from Tyler, heading for Renner and threw Downey’s magazine in the trash can before he could stop her.

__‘’No, no, that is a – … it _was ___the golden edition. Do you have _any ___idea how hard it is to – ‘’ Another sharp look, and he thought better of it. ‘’ But you’re right. Hobos need it more than I do anyway.’’ He bit his closed fist, looking longingly to the trash can, but Grandma Evans ignored him. Instead, she pushed Renner aside with a single ringed finger, taking off her kerchief with the other, free hand. All the men watched cautiously as she lifted the toddler, putting him on the counter and Sebastian thought he saw her smile when she wrapped the fabric around his waist with expert moves._ _

____When she finished she faced the three of them, disapproval engraved deeply on her face, shining in her blue eyes. She shook her head, with pursed lips._ _ _ _

____‘’I have never in my life seen full grown men act so childish.’’ She said after a while, in a steady, calculated voice. ‘’I surely hope you will find yourself a maid.’’ This one was addressed to Sebastian, who gulped, thinking of Jaquelin. ‘’But there is no time for that now, so the four of you will have to do.’’ She sighed, turning her attention to Sebastian’s friends. ‘’He told me the purpose of your presence here and now is to help with the wedding preparations. Is that true?’’’_ _ _ _

____Renner and Mackie nodded dutifully, while Downey shook his head. Mackie elbowed him promptly, though, and the man mirrored them half-heartedly. They were now standing in a line, side by side, with Sebastian only a few feet away._ _ _ _

____‘’Very well, then.’’ She seemed almost pleased. In a swift gesture she extended her hand, wiggling her index finger at Mackie and Renner. ‘’Now, give me the children.’’ Her tone was blunt, and the guys hesitated for a few seconds. Then Mackie gave in and Renner followed, both slowly handing her their children. To Sebastian it almost looked like an action movie scene, especially since he half expected her to carry a revolver in the waistband of her skirt. ‘’Good.’’ She said, once she held both kids. ‘’Moving on, as you can see, this house is a complete disaster. Therefore, I will assign each of you with a task, seeing as you cannot do anything on your own.’’_ _ _ _

____Downey raised a hand as if to protest, but lowered it back with a grunt after Renner elbowed him this time. He looked miserable, but at least he didn’t voice it. Sebastian really appreciated it._ _ _ _

____‘’You two,’’ she pointed to Sebastian and Jeremy ‘’clean the house. One upstairs, one downstairs. I want the bathrooms squeaky clean and not a single speck of dust on any surface.’’ She demanded, with her head bend down a little so she looked at them through her eyelashes. If there was a book such as Intimidation 1o1, she’d certainly be the author. She focused on Mackie. ‘’You stay here in the kitchen, with me.’’ A vicious smile split her wrinkled face in two, raveling a very well-polished dental prosthesis. The skin on Sebastian’s back neck prickled. ‘’ I have a special cake recipe.’’_ _ _ _

____‘’Marvelous plan! I can watch the dog.’’ Downey said, his hands clasped together at his chest. He looked to each of them in turn with wide eyes, nodding his head and flashing his smile, as if trying to convince them his idea was good._ _ _ _

____‘’You can do that, yes. Outside. While you rake up the fallen leaves in the yards. Maybe standing a little bit in the cold with help with your… testosterone excess.’’ Grandma Evans approved, making the man’s face drop then redden. Sebastian didn’t think he’d ever seen Downey blush. ‘’Move along now. There’s a long day ahead of you.’’_ _ _ _

____And indeed it was. Sebastian couldn’t remember the last time he’d put so much effort into cleaning something. He scrubbed the bathroom floor for two straight hours, earning himself a back ache to go with the stiff neck. He poured almost half a bottle of detergent in the toilet and flushed until he could see his reflection in the bowl. The mirror had never been so stainless before, and the tub was so white it hurt his tired eyes. But at least he was finished with the bathroom. Another hour of vacuuming and dusting and he could finally rest in his very own – His phone buzzed in his pocket, with a new message from Chris, making his heart flutter._ _ _ _

____C: ‘’ traffic is hell “_ _ _ _

____S: ‘’ oh no ‘’_ _ _ _

____S: ‘’ pls no ‘’_ _ _ _

____S: ‘’ don’t tell me ‘’_ _ _ _

____C: ‘’ we’ll be a little l8, probs ‘’_ _ _ _

____S: ‘’ I said pls… ‘’_ _ _ _

____C: ‘’ sorry, basha … ‘’_ _ _ _

____C: ‘’ how’s granny? ’’_ _ _ _

____C: ‘’ I love you ‘’_ _ _ _

____S: ‘’ she’s… a lot to take in. But she made downey rake up the leaves, so I kinda like her ‘’_ _ _ _

____C: ‘’ what did she make u do? ‘’_ _ _ _

____S: ‘’ don’t text and drive. We can talk when u get here. I love you. ‘’_ _ _ _

____He put his phone away, trying to ignore the vibrating. He missed Chris, even though he’s last seen him the previous morning, before he left to get his family to New York. A few more hours, and he was going to be back. His ma would arrive soon, too. He hadn’t heard anything from Iris tho… But if he went on with that line of thought now, he wouldn’t be getting anything done and Grandma Evans would surely come for him with her knitting needles. A shudder went through his spine as he went downstairs to get the vacuum cleaner. He passed Renner on the stairs, who gave him a murderous look. _I’ll kill her ___, he mouthed with a nod toward the kitchen. Sebastian laughed._ _ _ _

_____‘’Please.’’ He whispered, taking his chance with a glance inside the Red Room. Grandma Evans was sitting on a diner chair, with the three children looking up at her from their pillows scattered around the floor. They seemed so engrossed in the story she was telling that Sebastian couldn’t help a smile. A closer look told him that Mackie was intently listening to her, too, as he mixed something in a bowl._ _ _ _ _

_____Before going back to his chores, he thought of checking up on Downey too. He moved to the window wall, covering his mouth with a water wrinkled hand. Woof was playing tug of war with his friend’s brand scarf, playfully jumping from side to side as Downey spun the rake he was holding above his head like a martial artist in hopes to scare off the dog. He thought of filming the whole thing and uploading it on YouTube, or simply use it as a form of blackmail between friends. But just as he pulled his phone out, a newly familiar voice came from the kitchen._ _ _ _ _

_____‘’Are you finished, Sebastian? Because I’m sure Mr. Downey could use you help right about now.’’_ _ _ _ _

_____‘’Uh, no, I just came looking for the vacuum.’’ He said, standing now in the doorway._ _ _ _ _

_____‘’Dude, you look awful!’’ Mackie exclaimed, his brow furrowing a little. ‘’Like, more than usual.’’_ _ _ _ _

_____Sebastian snorted and looked at himself in the metallic reflection on the fridge. As much as it pained him to admit it, Mackie was right. Dark circles opened up under his dull eyes, and his over-grown hair fell around his head flabbily. ‘’Thanks, man, I appreciate it.’’ He sighed, trying to revive his hairstyle by going a hand through it. Seeing as it was pointless, he called it._ _ _ _ _

_____Grandma Evans sighed. ‘’ Go to sleep, Sebastian.’’_ _ _ _ _

_____‘’But I haven’t – ‘’_ _ _ _ _

_____‘’Mr. Anthony can pick up from where you left off.’’_ _ _ _ _

_____Sebastian expected protests from Mackie, but he asked if he should get started now or before the cake is ready. He ought to text Dianne about it as soon as possible, there might be something wrong with him, Sebastian thought._ _ _ _ _

_____‘’Leave the cake to me. I can’t have my grandson’s groom look like a ghost on his wedding day.’’ She said, standing up and telling Tyler to take the kids to the living room and put the pillows back on the couch. He did as asked, no words of complaint. _Dianne won’t even believe me. ___‘’Do you think you can sleep naturally, or shall I warm some milk for you?’’_ _ _ _ _

______‘’Milk?’’ Sebastian repeated, not being able to believe his ears. ‘’Uh, no, that’s fine, thank you.’’ He could sleep alright._ _ _ _ _ _

______Mackie guided him upstairs, a hand on his shoulder to steady him. He saw everything as from a distant place. Saw himself take his shirt of and get into bed. But as soon as his eyes closed he drifted off, dreaming of white birds and blue eyes. He hadn’t slept that well in a long time, his nights usually being wasted on analyzing his life decisions, and more recently, his wedding decisions._ _ _ _ _ _

______So it’s understandable that when he felt kisses on his face for the second time that day his heart almost stopped. _Not again, not again, not again. ___He slowly turned, only daring to open one eye._ _ _ _ _ _

_______‘’Good morning, sleepy head.’’ Chris whispered, hovering above him and it probably was the haze of his sleep, but he looked crazy a lot like an angel in that particular moment. Without even replying, Sebastian swung his arms around the other’s neck, pulling him down on top of himself and pressing their lips together. He wasn’t satisfied until he made Chris understand exactly how much he missed._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______‘’You know, ‘’ Chris said between kisses, ‘’ normally, I’d love to do this for the rest of… pretty much our lives, ‘’ Sebastian whimpered hoping he’d shut up and kiss him again ‘’but I promised a bunch of people downstairs that I’ll wake you up to say hello.’’ He pushed Sebastian’s hair gently out of his eyes, bringing their foreheads together. ‘’So let’s do that for five minutes, then it’s _my ___turn to tell you I missed you. Or better said, _show ___you.’’ His eyes had darkened visibly._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________Sebastian groaned as Chris pulled him into a sitting position. ‘’I’ll take you up on that, just so you know.’’ He pointed a finger at his lover before putting on one of Chris’s large hoodies._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________Before they could leave the room, there was a knock in the door, followed by another fast four, then two more. Sebastian’s eyes widened in recognition. He knew this knock!_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________‘’Just couldn’t wait, could she…’’ Chris shook his head smiling, not seeming the least surprised. Sebastian barely had time to turn to him, before Iris threw the door open and jumped on him, wrapping her hands and legs around his body in a full-committed hug. He put his hands on her back instinctively, still trying to comprehend what was happening._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________‘’But I thought – ‘’_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________‘’There was a plane late last night. We managed to board it.’’ Her voice was muffled by his shoulder. ‘’ I didn’t call you cause I thought it would be a nice surprise. Chris picked us up from the airport.’’_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________Sebastian looked over her, to his fiancé who was smiling smugly. ‘’Traffic is hell, huh?’’ he raised an eyebrow, and his smirk grew a little bigger._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________He shrugged. ‘’Most of the times.’’_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________‘’Do you, Christopher Robert Evans, take Sebastian Stan to be your husband for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?’’_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________Chris smiled at him, somehow making Sebastian feel like he was the only one that mattered in a place with so many people around him. He swore to himself before the ceremony he wouldn’t blush, but the man in front of him didn’t exactly make it easy for him.  
‘’I do.’’ His voice was definitive, not at all shaky like you see in chick flicks. He even squeezed his hand as to emphasize his words. Sebastian almost melted._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________‘’Do you, Sebastian Stan, take Cristopher Robert Evans to be your husband for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?’’_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________It was his turn. _Don’t fuck up now ___, Stan. He cleared his throat and immediately mentally slapped himself for it. Who does that before saying the words?!_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________‘’I do.’’ To his surprise, his tone matched Chris’s, who smiled again and almost leaned it to kiss him, but stopped when the priest glared at him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________They exchanged the rings, brought by Iris on a red, velvet pillow. She winked at him reassuringly and he felt a wave of warmth spread through him. He was surrounded by all the people he loved, on the happiest day of his life, marrying the best guy there ever was. He felt liberated and ecstatic, so when the priest finally allowed them to kiss, he didn’t wait for Chris to pull him close like he was sure he would. Instead, he grabbed his face between his hands as gracefully as his emotions allowed him, and brought their lips together, just like their first kiss two years ago._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________He made them one once again._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe I've finally finished this story. Writing it was a very important process for me, and now that it's over i have a bitter-sweet taste in my mouth :')  
> I want to thank everybody who took their time to read it, i really appreciate it. You were a strong motivation.

**Author's Note:**

> feedback is always appreciated. thanks for reading it, anyway :)


End file.
